Fabrication and Material Properties of Nanostructured Polymers

High molecular weight polymers can be formed into nanostructures that are of the same scale as the molecule itself. Our goal is to design an easy fabrication method for polymer nanopillars, and test their mechanical properties to determine the effects of polymer molecular confinement. We developed an ALD- assisted molding technique utilizing a sacrificial alumina layer that can be used to fabricate polystyrene nanopillars without damage during demolding. Pillars made with this technique were tested using a QCR- enhanced AFM device, but more research is needed to determine the effects of molecular confinement in the pillars.