Three-Dimensional Compatible Sacrificial Nanoimprint Lithography for Tuning the Wettability of Thermoplastic Materials

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molla Hasan ◽  
Imrhankhan Shajahan ◽  
Manesh Gopinadhan ◽  
Jittisa Ketkaew ◽  
Aaron Anesgart ◽  
...  

We report the tuning of surface wetting through sacrificial nanoimprint lithography (SNIL). In this process, grown ZnO nanomaterials are transferred by imprint into a metallic glass (MG) and an elastomeric material, and then etched to impart controlled surface roughness. This process increases the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of both surfaces, the Pt57.5Cu14.7Ni5.3P22.5 MG and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), respectively. The growth conditions of the ZnO change the characteristic length scale of the roughness, which in turn alters the properties of the patterned surface. The novelty of this approach includes reusability of templates and that it is able to create superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces in a manner compatible with the fabrication of macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) parts. Because the wettability is achieved by only modifying topography, without using any chemical surface modifiers, the prepared surfaces are relatively more durable.

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 956
Author(s):  
Philipp Taus ◽  
Adrian Prinz ◽  
Heinz D. Wanzenboeck ◽  
Patrick Schuller ◽  
Anton Tsenov ◽  
...  

Biomimetic structures such as structural colors demand a fabrication technology of complex three-dimensional nanostructures on large areas. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is capable of large area replication of three-dimensional structures, but the master stamp fabrication is often a bottleneck. We have demonstrated different approaches allowing for the generation of sophisticated undercut T-shaped masters for NIL replication. With a layer-stack of phase transition material (PTM) on poly-Si, we have demonstrated the successful fabrication of a single layer undercut T-shaped structure. With a multilayer-stack of silicon oxide on silicon, we have shown the successful fabrication of a multilayer undercut T-shaped structures. For patterning optical lithography, electron beam lithography and nanoimprint lithography have been compared and have yielded structures from 10 µm down to 300 nm. The multilayer undercut T-shaped structures closely resemble the geometry of the surface of a Morpho butterfly, and may be used in future to replicate structural colors on artificial surfaces.


Nanophotonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmina Kabouraki ◽  
Vasileia Melissinaki ◽  
Amit Yadav ◽  
Andrius Melninkaitis ◽  
Konstantina Tourlouki ◽  
...  

Abstract Optics manufacturing technology is predicted to play a major role in the future production of integrated photonic circuits. One of the major drawbacks in the realization of photonic circuits is the damage of optical materials by intense laser pulses. Here, we report on the preparation of a series of organic–inorganic hybrid photoresists that exhibit enhanced laser-induced damage threshold. These photoresists showed to be candidates for the fabrication of micro-optical elements (MOEs) using three-dimensional multiphoton lithography. Moreover, they demonstrate pattern ability by nanoimprint lithography, making them suitable for future mass production of MOEs.


Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 3240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achille Francone ◽  
Timothy Kehoe ◽  
Isabel Obieta ◽  
Virginia Saez-Martinez ◽  
Leire Bilbao ◽  
...  

Hydrogel materials offer many advantages for chemical and biological sensoring due to their response to a small change in their environment with a related change in volume. Several designs have been outlined in the literature in the specific field of hydrogel-based optical sensors, reporting a large number of steps for their fabrication. In this work we present a three-dimensional, hydrogel-based sensor the structure of which is fabricated in a single step using thermal nanoimprint lithography. The sensor is based on a waveguide with a grating readout section. A specific hydrogel formulation, based on a combination of PEGDMA (Poly(Ethylene Glycol DiMethAcrylate)), NIPAAm (N-IsoPropylAcrylAmide), and AA (Acrylic Acid), was developed. This stimulus-responsive hydrogel is sensitive to pH and to water. Moreover, the hydrogel has been modified to be suitable for fabrication by thermal nanoimprint lithography. Once stimulated, the hydrogel-based sensor changes its topography, which is characterised physically by AFM and SEM, and optically using a specific optical set-up.


2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 519-530
Author(s):  
Shubham Sharma ◽  
Jujhar Singh ◽  
Harish Kumar ◽  
Abhinav Sharma ◽  
Vivek Aggarwal ◽  
...  

This research work has been completed by concentrating on the structure of inserts for foot orthosis fabricated by utilizing rapid prototyping technology. Thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic polyurethane are the most commonly used materials that are being used in customized three-dimensional printed orthotic insoles, which are comfortable and prevent the user in many foot disorders. Thermo-softening viscoelastic polymers, explicitly Filaflex and Ninjaflex, have been printed by utilizing Flash Forge three-dimensional printers to evaluate the mechanical properties of specimens with alterations of the percentage rate fill-up design replicas. The results are compared on the basis of hardness test, flexural/bending test, and tensile test using Durometer and Universal Testing Machine (UTM). It has also been observed that the most significant effecting factor is infill density.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garima Thakur ◽  
Kovur Prashanthi ◽  
Thomas Thundat

ABSTRACTSelf–assembly of molecular building blocks provides an interesting route to produce well-defined chemical structures. Tailoring the functionalities on the building blocks and controlling the time of self-assembly could control the properties as well as the structure of the resultant patterns. Spontaneous self-assembly of biomolecules can generate bio-interfaces for myriad of potential applications. Here we report self-assembled patterning of human serum albumin (HSA) protein in to ring structures on a polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified gold surface. The structure of the self-assembled protein molecules and kinetics of structure formation entirely revolved around controlling the nucleation of the base layer. The formation of different sizes of ring patterns is attributed to growth conditions of the PEG islands for bio-conjugation. These assemblies might be beneficial in forming structurally ordered architectures of active proteins such as HSA or other globular proteins.


1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 2220-2228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meenal Joshi ◽  
Shekhar Mande ◽  
Kanak L. Dikshit

ABSTRACT In the strictly aerobic, gram-negative bacteriumVitreoscilla strain C1, oxygen-limited growth conditions create a more than 50-fold increase in the expression of a homodimeric heme protein which was recognized as the first bacterial hemoglobin (Hb). The recently determined crystal structure ofVitreoscilla Hb has indicated that the heme pocket of microbial globins differs from that of eukaryotic Hbs. In an attempt to understand the diverse functions of Hb-like proteins in prokaryotes, we have cloned and characterized the gene (vgb) encoding an Hb-like protein from another strain of Vitreoscilla,V. stercoraria DW. Several silent changes were observed within the coding region of the V. stercoraria vgb gene. Apart from that, V. stercoraria Hb exhibited interesting differences between the A and E helices. Compared to its Hb counterpart from Vitreoscilla strain C1, the purified preparation ofV. stercoraria Hb displays a slower autooxidation rate. The differences between Vitreoscilla Hb and V. stercoraria Hb were mapped onto the three-dimensional structure of Vitreoscilla Hb, which indicated that the four changes, namely, Ile7Val, Ile9Thr, Ile10Ser, and Leu62Val, present within theV. stercoraria Hb fall in the region where the A and E helices contact each other. Therefore, alteration in the relative orientation of the A and E helices and the corresponding conformational change in the heme binding pocket of V. stercoraria Hb can be correlated to its slower autooxidation rate. In sharp contrast to the oxygen-regulated biosynthesis of Hb in Vitreoscillastrain C1, production of Hb in V. stercoraria has been found to be low and independent of oxygen control, which is supported by the absence of a fumarate and nitrate reductase regulator box within the V. stercoraria vgb promoter region. Thus, the regulation mechanisms of the Hb-encoding gene appear to be quite different in the two closely related species ofVitreoscilla. The relatively slower autooxidation rate ofV. stercoraria Hb, lack of oxygen sensitivity, and constitutive production of Hb suggest that it may have some other function(s) in the cellular physiology of V. stercorariaDW, together with facilitated oxygen transport, predicted for earlier reported Vitreoscilla Hb.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Fazli ◽  
Denis Rodrigue

Recycling and recovery of waste tires is a serious environmental problem since vulcanized rubbers require several years to degrade naturally and remain for long periods of time in the environment. This is associated to a complex three dimensional (3D) crosslinked structure and the presence of a high number of different additives inside a tire formulation. Most end-of-life tires are discarded as waste in landfills taking space or incinerated for energy recovery, especially for highly degraded rubber wastes. All these options are no longer acceptable for the environment and circular economy. However, a great deal of progress has been made on the sustainability of waste tires via recycling as this material has high potential being a source of valuable raw materials. Extensive researches were performed on using these end-of-life tires as fillers in civil engineering applications (concrete and asphalt), as well as blending with polymeric matrices (thermoplastics, thermosets or virgin rubber). Several grinding technologies, such as ambient, wet or cryogenic processes, are widely used for downsizing waste tires and converting them into ground tire rubber (GTR) with a larger specific surface area. Here, a focus is made on the use of GTR as a partial replacement in virgin rubber compounds. The paper also presents a review of the possible physical and chemical surface treatments to improve the GTR adhesion and interaction with different matrices, including rubber regeneration processes such as thermomechanical, microwave, ultrasonic and thermochemical producing regenerated tire rubber (RTR). This review also includes a detailed discussion on the effect of GTR/RTR particle size, concentration and crosslinking level on the curing, rheological, mechanical, aging, thermal, dynamic mechanical and swelling properties of rubber compounds. Finally, a conclusion on the current situation is provided with openings for future works.


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