Chemically functionalized surfaces from ultrathin block-copolymer films

Supramolecular self-assembly of polystyrene-poly(vinylpyridine) diblock copolymers adsorbed from a selective solvent onto smooth substrates was used to create surfaces with regularly varying chemical composition. Well-ordered arrays of localized chemical reaction sites are formed on such surfaces with sizes and intersite distances of molecular length scales. We demonstrate site-specific complex formation with transition metal salts resulting in a nanoscopic ordered array of metal salt-polymer complexes. Selective etching of the metal-loaded microdomains is shown. the effect of block copolymer molecular architecture on the supramolecular structure of these ''chemically functionalized'' surfaces was studied. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.