This proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 05-610, category NER. The objective of this research is to develop a new method to create active, tunable hierarchical nanostructures. The approach is combining top-down and bottom-up nanomanufacturing techniques in one system: using the top-down technique to create long-range, large scale features within which self-assembly is employed to create tailored fine scale architectures. Holographic polymerization (H-P) and block copolymer (BCP) self assembly will be employed as the top-down and bottom-up methods, respectively. In H-P structures, the feature size is on the length scale >100 nm; this is "plenty" for conducting BCP self-assembly whose typical size is ~ 10-50 nm. By combining these two techniques in one system, BCP will be confined in the nanoenvironment created by H-P fabrication. Further self assembly thus leads to hierarchical nanostructures.
The proposed method could potentially lead to a new, feasible method to achieve hierarchical functional nanostructures; it is therefore high-rewarding. The educational component of the proposal includes: (1) developing "H-P in nanotechnology" module which will be used in the "Nanostructured Polymeric Materials" course. (2) involving high school students and teachers, particularly under-represented populations, in the proposed nanotechnology exploratory research activities.
