Breath-Figure Self-Assembly, a Versatile Method of Manufacturing Membranes and Porous Structures: Physical, Chemical and Technological Aspects

Abstract

The review is devoted to the physical, chemical, and technological aspects of the breath-figure self-assembly process. The main stages of the process and impact of the polymer architecture and physical parameters of breath-figure self-assembly on the eventual pattern are covered. The review is focused on the hierarchy of spatial and temporal scales inherent to breath-figure self-assembly. Multi-scale patterns arising from the process are addressed. The characteristic spatial lateral scales of patterns vary from nanometers to dozens of micrometers. The temporal scale of the process spans from microseconds to seconds. The qualitative analysis performed in the paper demonstrates that the process is mainly governed by interfacial phenomena, whereas the impact of inertia and gravity are negligible. Characterization and applications of polymer films manufactured with breath-figure self-assembly are discussed.

Fabrication of biocompatible and efficient antimicrobial porous polymer surfaces by the Breath Figures approach

“…This methodology is a widely employed strategy and several reviews have been recently reported covering both the chemical and physical aspects of porous film formation. [10][11][12]15] In terms of applications, porous films obtained using the Breath Figures methodology have the potential to be employed in tissue engineering applications since they can either 6 support cell adhesion and proliferation [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] or exactly the opposite, i.e. improve the adhesion and act as barriers.…”

Evaporation-assisted formation of surface patterns from polymer solutions via copper tubes

“…Instead of forming concentric rings for the substrate temperature larger than or equal to 30°C, surface patterns consisting of 'hole-network' were formed. The formation of these surface patterns can be attributed to the Sun and Yang -eXPRESS Polymer Letters Vol.12, No.8 (2018) 'Breath Figure' phenomenon [41], which usually occurs during the condensation of water droplets onto the surface of a polymer solution with a volatile solvent in a high humidity environment. The evaporation of the volatile solvent in the polymer solution causes the decrease of local temperature, leading to the formation of water micro-droplets and the penetration of the water micro-droplets onto the layer of the polymer solution.…”

Formation of Hierarchical Porous Films with Breath-Figures Self-Assembly Performed on Oil-Lubricated Substrates

“…One of the simplest and most effective methods enabling manufacturing microporous surfaces is the so-called breath-figures self-assembly method [12][13][14][15][16][17]. Breathfigures process is a commonly observed phenomenon in daily life.…”

“…especially suitable for the drop-casting process, resulting in the breath-figures selfassembly[12][13][14][15][16][17]. The drop-casting of polystyrene dissolved in the chlorinated solvents on the silicone oil-lubricated glass slides, carried out in the humid atmosphere, gave rise to hierarchical topographies built of micro-and nano-pores.…”