@phdthesis{Cheng2018, author = {Cheng, Xiao}, title = {Controlled solvent vapor annealing of block copolymer films}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-42417}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-424179}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {X, 166}, year = {2018}, abstract = {This project was focused on exploring the phase behavior of poly(styrene)187000-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine)203000 (SV390) with high molecular weight (390 kg/mol) in thin films, in which the self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) was realized via thermo-solvent annealing. The advanced processing technique of solvent vapor treatment provides controlled and stable conditions. In Chapter 3, the factors to influence the annealing process and the swelling behavior of homopolymers are presented and discussed. The swelling behavior of BCP in films is controlled by the temperature of the vapor and of the substrate, on one hand, and variation of the saturation of the solvent vapor atmosphere (different solvents), on the other hand. Additional factors like the geometry and material of the chamber, the type of flow inside the chamber etc. also influence the reproducibility and stability of the processing. The slightly selective solvent vapor of chloroform gives 10\% more swelling of P2VP than PS in films with thickness of ~40 nm. The tunable morphology in ultrathin films of high molecular weight BCP (SV390) was investigated in Chapter 4. First, the swelling behavior can be precisely tuned by temperature and/or vapor flow separately, which provided information for exploring the multiple-parameter-influenced segmental chain mobility of polymer films. The equilibrium state of SV390 in thin films influenced by temperature was realized at various temperatures with the same degree of swelling. Various methods including characterization with SFM, metallization and RIE were used to identify the morphology of films as porous half-layer with PS dots and P2VP matrix. The kinetic investigations demonstrate that on substrates with either weak or strong interaction the original morphology of the BCP with high molecular weight is changed very fast within 5 min, and the further annealing serves for annihilation of defects. The morphological development of symmetric BCP in films with thickness increasing from half-layer to one-layer influenced by confinement factors of gradient film thicknesses and various surface properties of substrates was studied in Chapter 5. SV390 and SV99 films show bulk lamella-forming morphology after slightly selective solvent vapor (chloroform) treatment. SV99 films show cylinder-forming morphology under strongly selective solvent vapor (toluene) treatment since the asymmetric structure (caused by toluene uptake in PS blocks only) of SV99 block copolymer during annealing. Both kinds of morphology (lamella and cylinder) are influenced by the film thickness. The annealed morphology of SV390 and SV99 influenced by the combination of confined film and substrate property is similar to the morphology on flat silicon wafers. In this chapter the gradients in the film thickness and surface properties of the substrates with regard to their influence on the morphological development in thin BCP films are presented. Directed self-assembly (graphoepitaxy) of this SV390 was also investigated to compare with systematically reported SV99. In Chapter 6 an approach to induced oriented microphase separation in thick block copolymer films via treatment with the oriented vapor flow using mini-extruder is envisaged to be an alternative to existing methodologies, e.g. via non-solvent-induced phase separation. The preliminary tests performed in this study confirm potential perspective of this method, which alters the structure through the bulk of the film (as revealed by SAXS measurements), but more detailed studies have to be conducted in order to optimize the preparation.}, language = {en} } @article{ChengBoekerTsarkova2019, author = {Cheng, Xiao and B{\"o}ker, Alexander and Tsarkova, Larisa}, title = {Temperature-Controlled Solvent Vapor Annealing of Thin Block Copolymer Films}, series = {Polymers}, volume = {11}, journal = {Polymers}, number = {8}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4360}, doi = {10.3390/polym11081312}, pages = {18}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Solvent vapor annealing is as an effective and versatile alternative to thermal annealing to equilibrate and control the assembly of polymer chains in thin films. Here, we present scientific and practical aspects of the solvent vapor annealing method, including the discussion of such factors as non-equilibrium conformational states and chain dynamics in thin films in the presence of solvent. Homopolymer and block copolymer films have been used in model studies to evaluate the robustness and the reproducibility of the solvent vapor processing, as well as to assess polymer-solvent interactions under confinement. Advantages of utilizing a well-controlled solvent vapor environment, including practically interesting regimes of weakly saturated vapor leading to poorly swollen states, are discussed. Special focus is given to dual temperature control over the set-up instrumentation and to the potential of solvo-thermal annealing. The evaluated insights into annealing dynamics derived from the studies on block copolymer films can be applied to improve the processing of thin films of crystalline and conjugated polymers as well as polymer composite in confined geometries.}, language = {en} } @article{WangKoehlerCaoetal.2012, author = {Wang, Wei-Hong and K{\"o}hler, Barbara and Cao, Feng-Qiu and Liu, Guo-Wei and Gong, Yuan-Yong and Sheng, Song and Song, Qi-Chao and Cheng, Xiao-Yuan and Garnett, Trevor and Okamoto, Mamoru and Qin, Rui and M{\"u}ller-R{\"o}ber, Bernd and Tester, Mark and Liu, Lai-Hua}, title = {Rice DUR3 mediates high-affinity urea transport and plays an effective role in improvement of urea acquisition and utilization when expressed in Arabidopsis}, series = {New phytologist : international journal of plant science}, volume = {193}, journal = {New phytologist : international journal of plant science}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Malden}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03929.x}, pages = {432 -- 444}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Despite the great agricultural and ecological importance of efficient use of urea-containing nitrogen fertilizers by crops, molecular and physiological identities of urea transport in higher plants have been investigated only in Arabidopsis. We performed short-time urea-influx assays which have identified a low-affinity and high-affinity (Km of 7.55 mu M) transport system for urea-uptake by rice roots (Oryza sativa). A high-affinity urea transporter OsDUR3 from rice was functionally characterized here for the first time among crops. OsDUR3 encodes an integral membrane-protein with 721 amino acid residues and 15 predicted transmembrane domains. Heterologous expression demonstrated that OsDUR3 restored yeast dur3-mutant growth on urea and facilitated urea import with a Km of c. 10 mu M in Xenopus oocytes. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis revealed upregulation of OsDUR3 in rice roots under nitrogen-deficiency and urea-resupply after nitrogen-starvation. Importantly, overexpression of OsDUR3 complemented the Arabidopsis atdur3-1 mutant, improving growth on low urea and increasing root urea-uptake markedly. Together with its plasma membrane localization detected by green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagging and with findings that disruption of OsDUR3 by T-DNA reduces rice growth on urea and urea uptake, we suggest that OsDUR3 is an active urea transporter that plays a significant role in effective urea acquisition and utilisation in rice.}, language = {en} } @article{ParkChengBoekeretal.2016, author = {Park, Sungjune and Cheng, Xiao and B{\"o}ker, Alexander and Tsarkova, Larisa}, title = {Hierarchical Manipulation of Block Copolymer Patterns on 3D Topographic Substrates: Beyond Graphoepitaxy}, series = {Advanced materials}, volume = {28}, journal = {Advanced materials}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.201601098}, pages = {6900 -- +}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Templates of complex nanopatterns in a form of hierarchically sequenced dots and stripes can be generated in block copolymer films on lithography-free 3D topographic substrates. The approach exploits thickness- and swelling-responsive morphological behavior of block copolymers, and demonstrates novel possibilities of topography-guided registration of nanopatterns due to periodic confinement and spontaneous orthogonal flow-fields.}, language = {en} }