Macroporous thin films via swollen polymer matrices

PMSE 250

Xiaojuan Fan, xfan@chemistry.ucsc.edu, Claudia H. Swanson, swanson@chemistry.ucsc.edu, David L. Rogow, rogow@chemistry.ucsc.edu, and Scott R. J. Oliver, soliver@chemistry.ucsc.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
We report a rapid, inexpensive method to fabricate porous TiO2 thin films using swollen polymers as a sacrificial structure director. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) can be swollen in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). PMMA spheres were dissolved in MEK, then mixed with Ti butoxide at varying ratios. The mixed solution was deposited on a Si wafer by spin coating or dip coating. Porous TiO2 thin films were obtained after calcination, which removes the polymer from the film. Optical microscopy shows pore sizes ranging from 20 to 100 mm. Electron dispersion spectroscopy confirmed that the pores are void spaces surrounded with TiO2 networks. The porous TiO2 thin film provides a large surface area semiconductor for the adsorption of photo sensitized dye coupled, potentially increasing the efficiency of photo-electricity conversion.
 

Joint PMSE/POLY Poster Session
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Tuesday, 12 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Polymeric Materials: Science & Engineering

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006