Laser ablation of block copolymers with hydrogen-bonded azobenzene derivatives

Abstract

Supramolecular assemblies (PS-b-P4VP(AzoR)) are fabricated by hydrogen-bonding azobenzene derivatives (AzoR) to poly(4-vinyl pyridine) blocks of polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P4VP). PS-b-P4VP(AzoR) forms phase separated nanostructures with a period of ~75–105 nm. A second length scale structure with a period of 2 µm is fabricated on phase separated PS-b-P4VP(AzoR) by laser interference ablation. Both the concentration and the substituent of AzoR in PS-b-P4VP(AzoR) affect the laser ablation process. The laser ablation threshold of PS-b-P4VP(AzoR) decreases as the concentration of AzoR increases. In PS-b-P4VP(AzoR) with different substituents (R= CN, H, and CH₃), ablation thresholds follow the trend: PS-b-P4VP(AzoCN)<PS-b-P4VP(AzoCH₃)<PS-b-P4VP(AzoH). This result indicates that the electron donor group (CH₃) and the electron acceptor group (CN) can lower the ablation threshold of PS-b-P4VP(AzoR).

Graphical abstract

Keywords

laser ablation / block copolymers / hydrogen-bond / azobenzene derivatives / supramolecular assembly

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the joint program of the Max Planck Society and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We thank Prof. C. Bubeck for helpful discussions. Open access funding provided by Max Planck Society.

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