Instabilities in Nanoporous Media

ORAL

Abstract

We studied Rayleigh instabilities in thin polymer films confined within nanoporous alumina templates. Thin films of PMMA were generated by filling cylindrical nanopores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane with a PMMA solution in chloroform followed by solvent evaporation. Undulations in the film thickness were observed that were induced by a Rayleigh instability when the PMMA nanotubes were annealed above the glass transition temperature (Tg). The amplitude of the undulations increased with time and eventually bridged across the cylindrical nanopore in the AAO membrane, resulting in the formation of polymer nanorods with periodically encapsulated holes. A similar behavior was observed when PMMA films were confined within carbon nanotubes (CNT). The Rayleigh instabilities in these confined geometries offer a novel means of controlling and fabricating the polymer nanostructures. These compartmentalized nanorods may have potential applications as delivery devices.

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Authors

  • Jiun-Tai Chen

    University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  • Mingfu Zhang

    University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  • Thomas Russell

    University of Massachusetts, Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Polymer Science \& Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, Dept. of Polymer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst, Polymer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,University of Massachusetts-Amherst