A simple approach to micro-patterned surfaces by breath figures with internal structure using thermoresponsive amphiphilic block copolymers

Employing amphiphilic block copolymers in a casting process to obtain honeycomb-structured films via breath figures leads to a suborder of these porous films. A thermoresponsive block copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide), was synthesized and used to test the arrangement of both blocks within the honeycomb-structured films. Contact angle measurements reveal that the surface of these films has a different composition compared to the structure of the pores. The pores were found to be enriched in hydrophilic sequences showing stimuli-responsive behavior, whereas the surface reacts like a typical hydrophobic porous film.