Colloidal Templating and Layered Extrusion Assemblies—Unconventional Shapes and Folding Objects

The preparation of new polymers and colloidal nanomaterials requires hierarchical levels of ordering and structuring: from molecular to macroscopic. The tools and methods are available for evincing order requiring design principles that start from non-covalent interactions all the way to object patterns that can be manipulated by non-lithographic methods. This talk will highlight the templating and assembly methods in: 1) colloidal nanosphere lithography used by our group to produce systems that include: conjugated polymers, electropolymerized molecularly imprinted sensors, electronanopatterning, and polymer brush lithography. 2) Polymer layered systems based on melt extrusion roll-to-roll process, 3) Hard-soft matter bilayers based on reactive ion etching of "origami" like structures. We also demonstrate the importance of surface-sensitive spectroscopic and microscopic analytical tools applied rationally to highlight evidence of order and function. The ability to synthesize and fabricate layered ordered systems results in new material stimuli-responsive properties.