Tunable nanomaterials by templating from kinetically trapped polymer micelles

Abstract

Products derived from and methods of micelle templating that allow for orthogonal control over structural features.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for fabricating tunable nanomaterials comprising:
 tuning micelle pore size;   impeding micelle equilibration during templating with kinetically trapped micelles;   maintaining constant micelle diameter and constant final pore size while independently controlling material between micelles to determine a final wall thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method produces isomorphic nanostructures with tunable wall thickness. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micelle final pore sizes created may range from mesopores to macropores. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the micelle pore sizes range from 20 to 75 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a structure-directing agent having a high Flory-Huggins effective interaction parameter is employed to cause kinetic entrapment of the micelles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the structure-directing agent comprises poly(ethylene oxide-b-hexyl acrylate) (PEO-b-PHA). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the PEO and PHA blocks of the structure directing agent each have a glass transition temperature at or below −56° C. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein micelle core radius and resulting micelle pore diameter should scale linearly with (χ 9/11 N PHA    2 N PEO   −18/11 ) 1/3    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable nanomaterials are stable to high temperatures and enable the formation of multiple crystalline oxide frameworks. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micelle are incorporated into a film. 
     
     
         11 . A design strategy for constructing mesopores and macropores comprising:
 contrasting solvophobe to solution;   employing a structure directing agent;   tuning inorganic to organic ratios to determine inorganic wall thickness;   maintaining micelle nonergodicity after addition of an inorganic precursor; and   maintaining all species in solution throughout the process.   
     
     
         12 . The design strategy of  claim 11 , wherein the design strategy produces isomorphic nanostructures with tunable wall thickness. 
     
     
         13 . The design strategy of  claim 11 , wherein the micelle pore sizes created may range from mesopores to macropores. 
     
     
         14 . The design strategy of  claim 13 , wherein micelle pore sizes range from 20 to 75 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The design strategy of  claim 11 , wherein a structure-directing agent having a high Flory-Huggins effective interaction parameter is employed to cause kinetic entrapment of the micelles. 
     
     
         16 . The design strategy of  claim 15 , wherein the structure-directing agent comprises poly(ethylene oxide-b-hexyl acrylate) (PEO-b-PHA). 
     
     
         17 . The design strategy of  claim 16 , wherein the PEO and PHA blocks of the structure directing agent each have a glass transition temperature at or below −56° C. 
     
     
         18 . The design strategy of  claim 11 , wherein core radius and resulting pore diameter should scale linearly with (χ 9/11 N PHA    2 N PEO   −18/11 ) 1/3 . 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable nanomaterials are stable to high temperatures and enable the formation of multiple crystalline oxide frameworks. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micelles are incorporated into a film. 
     
     
         21 . A structure directing agent for use with forming persistent micelle templating of isomorphic nanostructures comprising:
 an amphiphilic block copolymer structure-directing agent; and   the structure directing agent having a glass transition temperature below −56° C.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the structure-directing agent has a high Flory-Huggins effective interaction parameter. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the structure-directing agent comprises poly(ethylene oxide-b-hexyl acrylate) (PEO-b-PHA).