A novel polymer, poly(2-(N -carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate) end-capped with fullerene (PCzMA-C(60) ), has been synthesized via living anionic polymerization. Electrically programmable flash memory devices were easily fabricated with this polymer by using solution coating and metal deposition. This polymer was found in these devices to exhibit bipolar and unipolar switching behaviors with a high ON/OFF current ratio, a long retention time, high reliability, and low power consumption. The excellent properties and easy processability of this polymer open up the possibility of the mass production of high performance nonvolatile memory devices at low cost.

All acrylic-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) offer potential alternatives to the widely-used styrenic TPEs.

We present the synthesis of poly(n-butyl acrylate)-g-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PnBA-g-PMMA) multigraft copolymers via a grafting-through (macromonomer) approach. The synthesis was performed using two controlled polymerization techniques. The PMMA macromonomer was obtained by high-vacuum anionic polymerization followed by the copolymerization of n-butyl acrylate and PMMA macromonomer using reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to yield the desired all-acrylic multigraft structures. The PnBA-g-PMMA multigraft structures exhibit randomly spaced branch points with various PMMA contents, ranging from 15 to 40 vol %, allowing an investigation into how physical properties vary with differences in the number of branch points and molecular weight of grafted side chains. The determination of molecular weight and polydispersity indices of both the PMMA macromonomer and the graft copolymers was carried out using size exclusion chromatography with triple detection, and the structural characteristics of both the macromonomer and PnBA-g-PMMA graft materials were characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was employed for monitoring the macromonomer synthesis. Thermal characteristics of the materials were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The mechanical performance of the graft materials was characterized by rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis, revealing that samples with PMMA content of 25−40 vol % exhibit superior elastomeric properties as compared to materials containing short PMMA side chains or <25 vol % PMMA. Lastly, atomic force microscopy showed a varying degree of microphase separation between the glassy and rubbery components that is strongly dependent on PMMA side chain molecular weight. ■ INTRODUCTIONGraft and other branched architectures often exhibit superior physical and mechanical properties as compared to their linear counterparts, while often exhibiting lower melt viscosity and improved processability, making them attractive for numerous applications. 1−7 Thus, control of macromolecular architecture provides an avenue for tailoring materials to achieve improved performance. Architectural parameters that can be tuned with multigraft copolymers include the side chain chemical composition, molecular weight, volume fraction, and branch point symmetry, all of which influence the bulk properties, i.e., dynamics, self-assembly, and long-range nanoscale order. 8−11 More recently, the incorporation of both plastic and rubbery segments into multigraft copolymer architectures has yielded a new class of thermoplastic elastomers, termed "superelastomers", that demonstrate superior properties including improved elongation at break, lower residual strain after stretching, and a highly tunable modulus. Superelastomers are composed of a low glass transition temperature (T g ) backbone (for example, polyisoprene (PI)) with multiple high-T g side chains (for example, polystyre...

Nanoscale metal patterns were successfully reproduced on top of a functional organic layer by a direct metal-transfer technique (DMT). A gold film deposited on the protruding features of a stamp was transferred to the organic layer by controlling its stickiness through a two-step thermal treatment. The process was also suitable for the transfer of highly adhesive metal materials to the stamp surface by using an additional gold layer. Chromium nanowires at 70 nm half-pitch were faithfully produced without any damage to the organic active layer.