In situ synthesis of gold nanocrystal-embedded poly(dimethylsiloxane) films with nanostructured surface patterns

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering Vol. 179; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Yang, Young Jo, Kim, Mun Ho, Park, O Ok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 05-07-2017; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Chemical synthesis; Colloidal lithography; Gold; Gold nanocrystal; Infrared analysis; Nano-patterning; Nanocrystals; Nanostructure; Poly(dimethylsiloxane); Polydimethylsiloxane; Polymer films; Polymer metal composite; Silicone resins; Transmission electron microscopy; Colloidal lithography; Nano-patterning; Poly(dimethylsiloxane); Gold nanocrystal; Polymer metal composite
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2017.04.013

Gold (Au) nanocrystal-embedded PDMS films were synthesized by simply depositing a precursor solution on the PDMS film. The resulting PDMS films, inside which many Au nanocrystals with dimensions smaller than 50nm were uniformly embedded, showed unique nanostructured surface patterns. The morphological evolution of the films proceeded along different pathways depending on whether the film was chemically treated with O2 plasma. The hybrid films were systematically characterized by carrying out scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. Mechanisms explaining the formation of the Au nanocrystal-embedded PDMS films and the morphological evolutions during the synthesis were proposed based on the results. The developed approach provides a simple route for fabricating metal nanocrystal-embedded polymer films with unique structures and without the need for special equipment.
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•Au nanocrystal-embedded PDMS films with unique surface patterns were synthesized.•The new procedure did not require additional reducing agents and stabilizers.•The morphologies could be varied by applying a chemical treatment with O2 plasma.