Template-assisted self-assembly of diblock copolymer micelles for non-hexagonal arrays of Au nanoparticles

We report the construction of non-hexagonal arrays of nanoparticles by the template-assisted self-assembly of polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) copolymer micelles. Diblock copolymers were spin-coated onto nanoscale TiO₂ templates, which successfully guided the placement of the micelles to form unconventional assemblies such as linear, zigzag, and Kagome array structures. These arrangements, different from the usual quasi-hexagonal arrays of copolymer micelles spin-coated onto a flat substrate, greatly depend on the physical dimensions of both the template and the micelles. Subsequent treatment of the copolymer micelle assemblies with oxygen plasma resulted in various non-hexagonal arrays of Au nanoparticles while preserving the arrangement of the original micelles on the template.