Stretching effect of linearly polarized Ar+ laser single-beam on azo polymer colloidal spheres

This work shows that a linearly polarized Ar+ laser single-beam irradiation can cause stretching deformation of azo polymer colloidal spheres along the polarization direction of the laser beam. An epoxy-based polymer, containing 4-amino-4'-carboxyazobenzene at each repeat unit, was used to construct the colloidal spheres. The colloidal spheres were prepared by gradual hydrophobic aggregation of the polymeric chains in a THF/H2O dispersion medium, which was induced by a steady increase in the water content. When the obtained colloidal spheres were exposed to the spatially filtered and collimated Ar+ laser beam (488 nm, 150 mW/cm2), the colloids were stretched along the polarization direction of the laser beam. In the testing period (20 min), the colloids were deformed continuously as the irradiation time increased. When 2D close-packed arrays of the colloidal spheres were irradiated by the polarized laser single-beam, the colloidal spheres were all uniformly stretched along the polarization direction of the laser beam. On the contrary, when the arrays were irradiated by the interfering p-polarized laser beams, only the colloidal spheres in the bright regions of the interference pattern were significantly deformed.     

A SURFACTANT-ASSISTED APPROACH FOR PREPARING COLLOIDAL AZO POLYMER SPHERES WITH NARROW SIZE DISTRIBUTION

A surfactant-assisted method for preparing colloidal spheres with narrow size distribution from a polydispersed azo polymer has been developed in this work. The colloidal spheres were formed through gradual hydrophobic aggregation of the polymeric chains in THF-H2O dispersion media, which was induced by a steady increase in the water content. Results showed that the addition of a small amount of surfactant （SDBS） could significantly narrow the size distribution of the colloidal spheres. The size distribution of the colloidal spheres was determined by the concentrations of azo polymer and the amount of surfactant in the systems. When the concentrations of polymer and surfactant amount were in a proper range, colloidal spheres with narrow size distribution could be obtained. The colloidal spheres formed by this method could be elongated along the polarization direction of the laser beams to be a new type of the colloid-based functional materials. upon Ar^＋ laser irradiation. The colloidal spheres are considered     

Azo polymer colloidal spheres containing different amounts of functional groups and their photoinduced deformation behavior

In this work, colloidal spheres composed of azo polymers with different chromophore loading densities were prepared, and their photoinduced deformation behavior was studied. The colloids were constructed by using a series of amphiphilic epoxy-based random copolymers containing 4-carboxylazobenzene functional groups with different degrees of functionalization (DFs). The colloidal spheres were fabricated through gradual hydrophobic aggregation of the polymeric chains in tetrahydrofuran-H2O dispersion media, which was induced by gradually adding water into the systems. The colloidal spheres were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The photoinduced deformation behavior was studied by irradiating the colloidal spheres with a linearly polarized Ar+ laser beam. Results showed that the critical water content (CWC) for the colloid formation is related to the DF of the polymers, and CWC increases with the increase of DF. The hydrodynamic diameter of the colloidal spheres is also related to the DF of the polymers. When the DF of the polymers increases, the average size of the colloids gradually decreases. The hydrodynamic diameter of the colloidal spheres increases as the water dropping rate decreases. When the dropping rate is below 20 microL/s, the size of the colloidal spheres increases abruptly as the dropping rate further decreases. Upon the linearly polarized Ar+ laser beam irradiation, the colloids composed of polymers with different DFs can all be elongated along the polarization direction of the laser beam. As DF increases, the deformation degree characterized by the axial ratio (l/d) almost linearly increases. These observations can give some insight into the photoinduced deformation mechanism and can be used to construct colloids with different sizes and photoresponsive ability.     

Azo polymer microspherical cap array: soft-lithographic fabrication and photoinduced shape deformation behavior

In this work, azo polymer microspherical cap arrays possessing unique photoprocessible properties have been fabricated through a soft-lithographic contact printing approach. In the process, hexagonal polystyrene (PS) colloidal arrays, obtained by the vertical deposition method, were used as masters. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps with aligned hemisphere air voids on the surfaces were obtained by casting the precursor against the colloidal arrays. By using the stamps and a solution of an epoxy-based azo polymer (BP-AZ-CA) as "ink", the microspherical cap arrays were fabricated by pressing the "inked" surfaces against substrates. Uniform 2D arrays of the submicrometer spherical caps could be obtained on the substrates after peeling off the stamps and drying. The characteristic sizes of the arrays depended on some adjustable features, such as the diameters of PS spheres and concentrations of the "inks" used in the process. After exposure to a linearly polarized Ar+ laser single beam, the spherical caps could be stretched along the polarization direction, and the arrays were consequently transformed into ellipsoidal cap arrays. Upon irradiation of interfering p-polarized Ar+ laser beams, only the spherical caps in the bright fringes were deformed by the light irradiation, which resulted in more complicated surface relief patterns. The observation gives another well-defined example of the photoinduced mass migration in the submicrometer scale. The approach can potentially be applied to fabrication of microlens arrays with different converging rate in two directions.     

Amphiphilic azo polymer spheres, colloidal monolayers, and photoinduced chromophore orientation

In this work, azobenzene-containing colloidal spheres have been fabricated and used to construct photoresponsive monolayers. The colloidal spheres were prepared from an amphiphilic azobenzene-containing random copolymer through hydrophobic aggregation of the polymer chains, which was induced by adding the selective solvent (H2O) into a THF solution of the polymer. The size and size distribution of the spheres depended on the initial concentration of the azo polymer in THF and the H2O/THF ratio. Adjusting those factors and optimizing other preparation conditions, uniform colloidal spheres could be obtained. Monolayers composed of hexagonally close-packed colloidal spheres were prepared by the capillary-force-driven method. The colloidal monolayers showed obvious dichroism after laser irradiation due to the photoinduced azo-chromophore orientation occurred in the spheres. The orientation order parameter was related to the irradiation time and estimated to be 0.09 at the photostationary state. The colloidal spheres and their monolayers can potentially be used as building blocks or media for reversible optical data storage, photo-switching, sensors, and other photo-driven devices.     

Formation of ordered mesoporous films from in situ structure inversion of azo polymer colloidal arrays

This work shows that mesoporous polymeric films with spherical and elliptical pores can be obtained by in situ structure inversion of the azo polymer colloid arrays through selective interaction with solvent. The epoxy-based azo polymer contained both the pseudo-stilbene-type azo chromophores and the hydrophilic carboxyl groups. The colloidal spheres of the azo polymer were prepared by gradual hydrophobic aggregation of the polymeric chains in THF-H2O media, induced by a steady increase in the water content. Ordered 2D arrays of the hexagonally close-packed colloidal spheres were obtained by the vertical deposition method. After the solvent (THF) annealing, the ordered 2D arrays were directly transformed to mesoporous films through the sphere-pore inversion. Under the same condition, the 2D arrays composed of the ellipsoidal colloids, which were obtained by the irradiation of a polarized Ar+ laser beam on the colloidal sphere arrays, could be transformed to films with ordered elliptical pores. To our knowledge, this is the first example to demonstrate that mesoporous structures can be directly formed from the colloidal arrays of a homopolymer through structure inversion. This observation can shed new light on the nature of self-assembly processes and provide a feasible approach to fabricate mesoporous structures without the infiltration-removal step. By exploring the photoresponsive properties of the materials, mesoporous film with special pore structure and properties can be expected.     

Facile fabrication of mechanochromic-responsive colloidal crystal films

This paper presents a simple approach to fabricate a reversible mechanochromic-responsive crystal film based on the room-temperature film-formation of monodisperse polymer latex by the aid of nanosilica particles. In this approach, when the "soft" colloidal polymer spheres were blended with colloidal silica particles and then cast on a substrate, followed by drying at room temperature for self-assembly, an elastic crystal film was directly obtained. This crystal film has not only reversible and repeatable mechanochromic-responsive property, but also tunable color and peak position covering almost entire visible spectral region, depending upon the sizes of polymer spheres and strains. This optical response is attributed to the variation of lattice spacing during deformation.     

木质素基偶氮聚合物胶体球的制备

利用造纸废液中的碱木素(AL)合成了木质素基偶氮聚合物(AL-azo-COOEt), 并研究其自组装胶体化过程. 木质素偶氮聚合物的成功合成通过核磁共振氢谱(¹H NMR)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱和元素分析等表征方法得到证实. 激光光散射(LLS)监测了AL-azo-COOEt的胶体化过程, 自组装形成的胶体球利用透射电镜(TEM)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)和元素分析等进行表征. 结果表明,木质素偶氮聚合物通过疏水聚集作用可以形成规整的实心胶体球, 且为内部较疏水外部较亲水性质的结构. 木质素偶氮聚合物胶体球可以包载疏水性药物阿霉素(DOX), 且其缓释性能可以通过缓冲溶液的pH值来调控.     

Non-affine structural evolution of soft colloidal crystalline latex films under stretching as observed via synchrotron X-ray scattering

A polymer dispersion consisting of soft latex spheres with a diameter of 135 nm was used to produce a crystalline film with face-centered cubic (fcc) packing of the spheres. Different from conventional small-molecule and hard-sphere colloidal crystals, the crystalline latex film in the present case is soft (i.e., easily deformable). The structural evolution of this soft colloidal latex film under stretching was investigated by in-situ synchrotron ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering. The film exhibits polycrystalline scattering behavior corresponding to fcc structure. Stretching results not only in a large deformation of the crystallographic structure but also in considerable nonaffine deformation at high draw ratios. The unexpected nonaffine deformation was attributed to slippage between rows of particles and crystalline grain boundaries. The crystalline structure remains intact even at high deformation, suggesting that directional anisotropic colloidal crystallites can be easily produced.     

偶氮聚合物三角状聚集体的制备及光致形变行为研究

利用滴加沉淀剂法,通过偶氮聚合物BP-AZ-2CA在DMF-H2O体系中自组装得到了碗状的聚集体.利用透射电镜等对聚集体的组装过程及最终形貌等进行了表征.研究表明,通过调节初始聚合物浓度以及制备过程中的滴加水速率,可得到不同尺寸的碗状聚集体.将碗状聚集体置于单束偏振Ar+激光(488nm,110mW/cm2)照射下,所有的碗状聚集体都发生了沿着激光偏振方向的拉伸.碗状聚集体在激光拉伸后仍然维持中空的结构.     

Cation exchange: a simple and versatile route to inorganic colloidal spheres with the same size but different compositions and properties

This paper describes a cation exchange approach to the synthesis of metal chalcogenide core-shell particles with the same size but a number of different compositions. This method begins with the preparation of colloidal spheres of amorphous Se (a-Se), followed by their reaction with Ag atoms to form Se@Ag2Se spheres. These core-shell spheres are then converted into Se@MSe (M = Zn, Cd, and Pb) via cation exchange with Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+. All the colloidal spheres prepared using this method are monodispersed in size and characterized by a spherical shape and a smooth surface. Starting from the same batch of Se@Ag2Se, the resultant Se@MSe samples were essentially the same in size. Furthermore, these core-shell colloidal spheres can be easily made superparamagnetic by incorporating Fe3O4 nanoparticles into the a-Se cores. This synthetic approach provides a simple and versatile route to magnetoactive core-shell spheres with the same size but a range of different compositions. This study also implies that it is feasible to further increase the diversity of cations that can be used in the cation exchange of a colloidal system to produce multifunctional core-shell spheres with a variety of properties.     

Fabrication of photoprocessible azo polymer microwires through a soft lithographic approach

In this work, a soft lithographic approach has been developed to fabricate free-standing azo polymer microwires with unique photoprocessible characteristics. In the process, an epoxy-based azo polymer (BP-AZ-CA) was used to prepare both the soft lithographic masters and the microwires. The masters were prepared by photofabricating surface relief gratings on BP-AZ-CA thin films. Then the elastomeric stamps were prepared by replica molding of poly(dimethylsiloxane) prepolymer against the masters. With use of the stamps and a solution of BP-AZ-CA as "ink", the microwires were prepared by contact printing and wet etching. The microwires possessed a uniform sub-micrometer-scale transverse dimension and macroscopic longitudinal dimension. Those characteristic sizes depended on the adjustable features of the masters and stamps used in the process. The transverse dimension of the microwires could be altered after exposure to a linearly polarized Ar+ laser single beam with the polarization direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the microwires. Upon irradiation of interfering p-polarized Ar+ laser beams, regular surface relief structures could be inscribed on the microwires along the longitudinal direction, which coincided with both the polarization direction of the laser beams and the grating vector direction of the interference pattern. The microwires with photoprocessible properties are potentially usable as sub-micrometer-scale materials in future miniaturized components and devices. The approach reported in this work can be further extended to the fabrication of nano-/microwires from other polymeric materials.     

双组分偶氮聚合物胶体球制备及其光致形变行为研究

研究了2种环氧树脂类含4-氨基-4′-硝基偶氮苯和4-氨基-4′-羧基偶氮苯生色团聚合物(BP-AZ-NT、BP-AZ-CA)双组分胶体球的制备和光致形变行为.通过在上述聚合物的四氢呋喃溶液中逐步加水诱导自组装的方法,得到了BP-AZ-CA/BP-AZ-NT双组分胶体球.在上述两种聚合物自组装形成胶体球过程中,较为疏水的BP-AZ-NT分子先发生聚集,而较亲水的BP-AZ-CA则在形成的胶体颗粒表面发生进一步聚集.在胶体球形成过程中,体系的临界水含量(CWC)主要由BP-AZ-NT发生聚集时的水含量决定,双组分胶体球的外层则含较多的BP-AZ-CA分子.比较单组分胶体球与双组分胶体球在线偏振Ar+激光(488nm,100mW/cm2)照射下的形变行为,进一步证实了通过上述方法可以制备BP-AZ-CA和BP-AZ-NT双组份的胶体球;胶体球形变时的初始拉伸速率由胶体球的外层聚合物分子的性质所决定。     

General bottom-up construction of spherical particles by pulsed laser irradiation of colloidal nanoparticles: a case study on CuO

The development of a general method to fabricate spherical semiconductor and metal particles advances their promising electrical, optical, magnetic, plasmonic, thermoelectric, and optoelectric applications. Herein, by using CuO as an example, we systematically demonstrate a general bottom-up laser processing technique for the synthesis of submicrometer semiconductor and metal colloidal spheres, in which the unique selective pulsed heating assures the formation of spherical particles. Importantly, we can easily control the size and phase of resultant colloidal spheres by simply tuning the input laser fluence. The heating-melting-fusion mechanism is proposed to be responsible for the size evolution of the spherical particles. We have systematically investigated the influence of experimental parameters, including laser fluence, laser wavelength, laser irradiation time, dispersing liquid, and starting material concentration on the formation of colloidal spheres. We believe that this facile laser irradiation approach represents a major step not only for the fabrication of colloidal spheres but also in the practical application of laser processing for micro- and nanomaterial synthesis.     

Multiphase coexistence in polydisperse colloidal mixtures

The authors study the phase behavior of mixtures of monodisperse colloidal spheres with a depletion agent which can have arbitrary shape and can possess a polydisperse size or shape distribution. In the low concentration limit considered here, the authors can employ the free-volume theory and take the geometry of particles of the depletion agent into account within the framework of fundamental measure theory. The authors apply their approach to study the phase diagram of a mixture of (monodisperse) colloidal spheres and two polydisperse polymer components. By fine tuning the distribution of the polymer, it is possible to construct a complex phase diagram which exhibits two stable critical points.     

自组装光致形变功能偶氮分子玻璃微球

通过逐滴滴加去离子水的方法, 探究了具有快速光响应的偶氮分子玻璃(IAC-4)在初始浓度范围为1.0~5.0 mg/mL条件下的自组装, 制备了形貌规整、 尺寸均一的胶体球, 并利用动态光散射技术(DLS)测定了IAC-4胶体球的流体力学半径. 通过测定一系列初始浓度的IAC-4溶液的临界水含量, 探究了IAC-4在自组装过程中析出、 聚集成核和核生长的规律. 研究发现, 临界水含量与IAC-4初始浓度的关系符合二元混合溶剂中固体溶质的溶解度变化规律. 通过调节去离子水的滴加量, 研究了自组装过程中, IAC-4聚集体流体力学半径呈现先增大后减小的趋势. IAC-4胶体球的水分散液, 通过室温干燥得到的固态IAC-4微球在线性偏振激光(488 nm, 100 mW/cm²)垂直辐照下表现出快速的光响应特性. 当辐照时间为1 min时, IAC-4微球快速地拉伸形变, 形成平均长径比为1.44的椭圆形粒子. 随着光辐照时间延长, 平均长径比持续增大. 当辐照时间为7 min时, IAC-4微球被拉伸为棒状粒子, 其平均长径比可高达3.32.     

Colloidal crystallization and banding in a cylindrical geometry

Colloidal crystallization takes advantage of the strong interfacial forces and tunable interactions that organize particles into regular structures at small scales. Thus, colloidal crystallization and patterning provide a powerful and simple method to functionalize planar surfaces with applications to optical, catalytic, sensing, and cleansing materials. Nevertheless, the ability to pattern topologically more complex surfaces such as curved, confined, or soft substrates can open new avenues for novel, "intelligent", and responsive materials. We present one step in this direction by characterizing colloidal crystallization inside circular capillaries: a nearly periodic banding is observed, and the colloidal packing is dictated by confinement produced by the wedge-like region formed by a capillary confined meniscus. The packing consists of a succession of hexagonally close-packed regions, which are separated by narrow regions of "buckled phase crystals".     

Close-packed colloidal crystalline arrays composed of polystyrene latex coated with titania nanosheets

We have demonstrated that polystyrene latex coated with titania nanosheets can be fabricated into a close-packed colloidal crystalline array, and that these coated colloidal spheres can be used to control the peak position of optical stop bands through the coating. The titania-nanosheets-coated polystyrene latex was prepared by the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly coating process, involving alternating lamination of cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic titania nanosheets on monodisperse polystyrene latex particles. The Bragg diffraction peak of the colloidal crystalline array shifted to longer wavelengths with the coating of titania nanosheets. This red shift was caused by an increase in refractive index upon coating, as revealed by angle-resolved reflection spectra measurements. The current work suggests new possibilities for the creation of advanced colloidal crystals having tunable optical properties from tailored colloidal spheres.     

结构与制备条件对两亲性偶氮聚合物胶体球尺寸和光响应性的影响

合成了3种具有不同官能团或官能化度的双亲性多分散偶氮聚合物.系统研究了它们在选择性溶剂中形成聚合物胶体球时,各种因素对胶体球尺寸和光响应性能的影响规律.结果表明,不仅官能团和官能化度对胶体球的尺寸与光响应性有明显影响,具体的制备条件(如初始浓度、沉淀剂加入速率等)对胶体球尺寸和光响应性能也有重要影响.聚合物胶体球的粒径随官能化度的增加而增大;随初始浓度的增加和沉淀剂加入速率的减小而增大.聚合物PEAPE胶体球的光致异构化速率快于PCNPE胶体球的光致异构化速率.聚合物胶体球的光致异构化速率随官能化度的增加而减小;随初始浓度的增加和沉淀剂加入速率的减小而减小.这些影响表现出了明显的规律性.从双亲性聚合物在选择性溶剂中自组装形成胶体球的热力学与动力学因素出发,讨论了上述现象产生的原因.     

Close-packed colloidal crystalline arrays composed of silica spheres coated with titania

Titania coated monodisperse silica spheres have been synthesized and fabricated as a close-packed colloidal crystalline array. We have demonstrated that the coated colloidal sphere can be used to control the peak position of the optical stop band through variation of the coating thickness. The titania coated silica spheres were prepared by the layer-by-layer assembly coating process, which reciprocally laminates the cationic polyelectrolyte and the anionic titania nanosheets on a monodisperse silica spheres, and were sintered to change the titania nanosheets to anatase. The Bragg diffraction peak of the colloidal crystalline array shifted to the long wavelength region with an increase of thickness of the titania layer. Angle-resolved reflection spectra measurements clarified that the red shift was caused by increasing of the refractive index with increase of the thickness of the layer. The current work suggests new possibilities for the creation of advanced colloidal crystalline arrays with tunable optical properties from tailored colloidal spheres.