Methods and compositions relating to tunable nanoporous coatings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11008429-B2
Application number	US-201916277579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2019
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Described herein are methods and compositions relating to tunable nanoporous coatings. In certain aspects, described herein are methods and compositions wherein a tunable nanoporous coating comprises a tunable nanoporous membrane which transitions from opaque to transparent upon the application of force, and from transparent to opaque after washing with a solvent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a tunable polymer membrane, comprising:
forming at least one silica layer with silica nanoparticles;
transferring the at least one silica layer onto at least one first surface of one or more substrates;
creating a volume between the first surface and at least one opposing second surface of a second substrate;
adding a monomer composition into the volume between the opposing first and second surfaces;
polymerizing the monomer composition with a polymerization method to form a tunable polymer membrane; and
removing the at least one silica layer on the one or more substrates with a first solvent;
tuning the tunable polymer membrane with a first tuning method, thereby facilitating a first optical transition of the tunable polymembrane to a first tuning state;
wherein the first tuning method is application of a force to a surface of the tunable polymer membrane, and the first optical transition is transparent to opaque; and

wherein the application of force is with a PDMS stamp comprising uncured PDMS oligomers configured to diffuse to the tunable polymer membrane upon the application of force with the PDMS stamp on the tunable membrane.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
washing the tunable polymer membrane with a second solvent after removing the silica layers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silica nanoparticles are SiO 2 nanoparticles with a diameter of about 100 nm to about 10,000 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silica layer is a monolayer of colloidal silica crystals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more substrates comprise glass.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the at least one silica layer onto at least one second surface of the second substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer composition comprises polyethylene glycol (600) diacrylate (EGDA 600), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA), ethoxylated (20) trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA 20), or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first solvent is 2 volume % hydrofluoric acid.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the tunable polymer membrane to a surface.

10. A method of tuning a tunable polymer membrane, comprising:
providing a tunable polymer membrane;
tuning the tunable polymer membrane with a first tuning method, thereby facilitating a first optical transition of the tunable polymembrane to a first tuning state;
tuning the tuned polymer membrane with a second tuning method, thereby facilitating a second optical transition to a second tuning state;
wherein the first tuning method is application of a force to a surface of the tunable polymer membrane, and the first optical transition is transparent to opaque; and
wherein the application of force is with a PDMS stamp comprising uncured PDMS oligomers configured to diffuse to the tunable polymer membrane upon the application of force with the PDMS stamp on the tunable membrane.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second tuning method is washing the tunable polymer membrane with a solvent, and the second optical transition is opaque to transparent.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising initiating a tuning cycle wherein the first tuning state, second tuning state, or both are cycled for more than one cycle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tuning cycle alters the optical transmission of the tunable membrane from a first optical transition of below 94% to a second optical transition above 98% or a first optical transition of above 98% to a second optical transition below 94%.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first tuning method is applying a force to a surface of the tunable polymer membrane or washing the tunable polymer membrane with a solvent.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second tuning method is applying a force to a surface of the tunable polymer membrane or washing the tunable polymer membrane with a solvent.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first tuning method and second tuning method are different.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the solvent is ethanol or hexane.

Assignees

• Univ Florida

Inventors

• Jiang Peng
• Leo Sin-Yen
• Leverant Calen
• Liu Danielle
• Fang Yin

Classifications

• B01D69/125 Primary

  In situ manufacturing by polymerisation, polycondensation, cross-linking or chemical reaction · CPC title

• B01D71/4011

  Polymethylmethacrylate · CPC title

• B01D2323/24

  Use of template or surface directing agents [SDA] · CPC title

• C08J7/02

  with solvents, e.g. swelling agents · CPC title

• B01D2321/18

  Use of gases · CPC title