Fabrication of Silicon/Polymer Composite Nanopost Arrays and Their Sensing Applications

Abstract

A novel technique is reported for fabricating silicon/polymer composite nanopost arrays by combining colloidal lithography and surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization. The composite nanopost arrays possess a core/shell nanoarchitecture, with shells of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and cores of silicon nanoposts. The polymer brush possesses quasi-3D homogeneous nanoarchitectures due to the controllable polymerization process using the surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization technique. The composite nanopost arrays are durable due to the particular nanoarchitectures. The backbone templates of the composites are silicon nanopost arrays directly etched from silicon substrates, and the polymer shell is covalently grafted from the arrays. The composite nanopost arrays exhibit vivid colors. Moreover, the colors of the composite nanopost arrays can be tuned from green to red by changing the thickness of fi lm. Specifically, the composite nanopost arrays can be used as sensors to rapidly detect water vapors with high stability and reproducibility. Many different functional surfaces could be prepared through this technique using other functional monomers.

Photoinitiated chemical vapor deposition of cytocompatible poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) films

“…Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) has been utilized extensively in biological and biomedical applications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] because it is nontoxic and possesses adequate mechanical strength. [12][13][14] Applications of pHEMA films include biosensors, [15][16][17][18] contact lenses, 19,20 controlled drug release, [21][22][23][24] and resistance to protein adhesion. [25][26][27] Common methods for fabricating thin pHEMA films include graft copolymerization 12,28,29 and spin casting from polymer solutions.…”

Ordered Hybrid Micro/Nanostructures and Their Optical Applications

“…The refractive index changed under the water vapor condition due to the presence of hydrophilic polymers. Thus, the composite nanopost arrays can detect water vapor rapidly depending on the change of vivid colors from green to red . Szendrei et al proposed a novel fluorescent humidity sensor.…”

Advanced Colloidal Lithography Beyond Surface Patterning

“…They further demonstrated a facile etching method to fabricate silicon elliptical pillar arrays (Si‐EPAs) with unique anisotropic optical and wetting characters using polystyrene elliptical hemisphere arrays (EHAs) as mask (Figure ) . Moreover, a novel technique is reported for fabrication of silicon/polymer composite nanopost arrays by combining colloidal lithography and surface‐initiated atom‐transfer radical polymerization . The composite nanopost arrays possess core/shell nanoarchitectures with shells of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and cores of silicon nanoposts.…”