Formation of conductive polyaniline nanoarrays from block copolymer template via electroplating

Nanostructured thin films have drawn extensive attention because of their unique properties resulting from nanoscale features. One of the convenient ways to generate nanostructured thin films is to use pattern with nanoscale texture as a template for the reactions carrying out within the template. In this study, nanoporous thin film template was obtained from the self-assembly of degradable block copolymer, polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA) with PLLA cylinder nanostructure, at which the PLLA block can be hydrolyzed to form the nanopatterns with cylinder nanopores on conductive substrate (i.e., ITO substrate). The nanoporous PS thin film template was stabilized by modification of substrate using hydroxyl terminated PS so as to enhance the adhesion with substrate for following electroplating process. Combining a pulse electroplating method with the control of micro current, polyanilines can be successfully synthesized within the template to fabricate well-defined of conductive polymer nanoarrays.