(618aq) Controlled Self-Assembly of Pillars Modified with Vapor Deposited Polymeric Nanocoatings

In this talk, we will present a capillary force induced self-assembly technique to create large area arrays of complex three-dimensional microstructures. In our method, initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is used to modify the surface properties of micropillared arrays without changing the bulk mechanical properties of the pillars.  The iCVD process is an all-dry vapor-phase free radical polymerization technique that is an environmentally benign alternative to traditional liquid-phase polymerization processes because no organic solvents are necessary. We used the iCVD process to sequentially deposit functional and responsive organic polymers onto elastomeric pillars in one reaction chamber without removing our substrate between steps.  Capillary forces were used to self-assemble the pillars into ordered nanostructures by changing the surface properties of the pillars from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The height of the pillars was varied in order to study the relative effect of elastic forces on the self-assembly process.