Polymer-based nanostructured materials with tunable properties and methods of making thereof

Abstract

Nano structured surfaces and bulk composite materials which exhibit tunable surface morphology, wettability, thermal conductivity, and total thermal resistance properties, and methods of fabrication and uses thereof are described herein. Arrays of vertically-aligned nanostructures produced via a template assisted fabrication approach using nanoporous templates, or alternatively, via an electropolymerization process are described. As a result, control over the surface morphology and wettability can be achieved using the selective template etching process. The composite materials also demonstrate tunable thermal and electrical properties based on the methods of their fabrication. The arrays of polymeric nanostructures are chemically, mechanically, and thermally robust and can serve as soft substrates with heat dissipation capability for use in the fabrication of thermal management materials, tunable wetting for microfluidic applications, and for use in heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells.