(501a) Programming Functions in Hierarchical Hybrid Nanostructures: Role of Chemical Engineers

Polymer thin films and nanohybrids with functions have recently received much attention due to many important potential applications such as nanolithography and nanopatterning for nanodevices, biologically relevant surfaces for sensors and drug delivery, photonic or electronic devices, and many others. Many nano-objects (such as quantum dots, nanotubes or nanowires, and nanosheets) carrying unique functions should be incorporated into the polymer matrices to achieve such practical goals. Tremendous efforts have also been devoted to the intelligent hybrids for energy efficient optoelectronic devices with multifaceted approaches such as noble design and synthesis of nanomaterials, optimal processing to realize ideal nanostructures, and their relationship with device performance.

In this presentation, I will discuss recent progresses in block copolymer thin films and layer-by-layer thin film depositions to program (multiple) functions within the polymeric films. Also, the hybridization schemes for organic-inorganic structures optimal for various applications will be presented and the hierarchical structure mimicking the Nature, combining both the bottom-up and the top-down approaches, will be briefly discussed

Considering the wide application areas of both functional thin films and hybrid materials, the approaches taken in the present study are likely to open up new possibilities for chemical engineers to realize new advanced materials or devices with multifunctional properties.