Skip to main content

Preparation of Macroscopic Block-Copolymer-Based Gyroidal Mesoscale Single Crystals by Solvent Evaporation

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

E.M. Susca
P.A. Beaucage
R.P. Thedford
A. Singer
Sol Gruner
L.A. Estroff
U. Wiesner

Abstract

Properties arising from ordered periodic mesostructures are often obscured by small, randomly oriented domains and grain boundaries. Bulk macroscopic single crystals with mesoscale periodicity are needed to establish fundamental structure–property correlations for materials ordered at this length scale (10–100 nm). A solvent-evaporation-induced crystallization method providing access to large (millimeter to centimeter) single-crystal mesostructures, specifically bicontinuous gyroids, in thick films (>100 µm) derived from block copolymers is reported. After in-depth crystallographic characterization of single-crystal block copolymer–preceramic nanocomposite films, the structures are converted into mesoporous ceramic monoliths, with retention of mesoscale crystallinity. When fractured, these monoliths display single-crystal-like cleavage along mesoscale facets. The method can prepare macroscopic bulk single crystals with other block copolymer systems, suggesting that the method is broadly applicable to block copolymer materials assembled by solvent evaporation. It is expected that such bulk single crystals will enable fundamental understanding and control of emergent mesostructure-based properties in block-copolymer-directed metal, semiconductor, and superconductor materials. © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Date Published

Journal

Advanced Materials

Volume

31

Issue

40

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85070990142&doi=10.1002%2fadma.201902565&partnerID=40&md5=4b40e23c121952ef8f086faacab0b1ac

DOI

10.1002/adma.201902565

Group (Lab)

Sol M. Gruner Group

Funding Source

DMR-1332208
DMR-1719875
DE-SC0017631
DMR-1707836
1719875
DGE-1650441
BES
DE-SC0010560

Download citation