Controlled Self-Assembly Employing Microfluidic Tools: Pathway Selection in Materials Synthesis and Processing
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Author
Date
2021Type
- Doctoral Thesis
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Abstract
Self-assembly is a crucial process in the bottom-up fabrication of hierarchical supramolecular structures and advanced functional materials. However, its control has been merely achieved via synthetic chemistry approaches, following rational molecular designs. This thesis focuses on controlling self-assembly processes via microfluidic technologies. Studies presented in this thesis show that microfluidic devices can allow an advanced spatiotemporal command of reagents; a feature that can strongly affect the outcome of a reaction. First, it is proven that the unique conditions present in microfluidic devices enable to unveil unprecedented synthetic pathways during the self-assembly of functional materials, favouring their controlled defect engineering and yielding new materials’ properties. Then, an advanced control on the structure and supramolecular chirality of self-assembled architectures is demonstrated by harnessing complex hydrodynamic fields with controlled mass transport. Additionally, microfluidic devices are confirmed to be an effective tool for controlling self-assembly process on surfaces. For example, controlled chemical gradients inside single-layer microfluidic devices are exploited to enable unprecedented spatial control while patterning compositional gradients of functional thin films. Finally, a method employing double-layer microfluidic devices is described to accomplish a regioselective localization of multiple functionalities on a single surface and their in-situ analytical characterization. Show more
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https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000477923Publication status
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Publisher
ETH ZurichOrganisational unit
03914 - deMello, Andrew / deMello, Andrew
Funding
160174 - Controlled Crystal Growth and Large Scale Integration of Functional Materials by Microfluidic Means (CoInFun) (SNF)
677020 - Microfluidic Crystal Factories (μ-CrysFact): a breakthrough approach for crystal engineering (EC)
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ETH Bibliography
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