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Transparency induced in opals via nanometer thick conformal coating.

ABSTRACT: Self-assembled periodic structures out of monodisperse spherical particles, so-called opals, are a versatile approach to obtain 3D photonic crystals. We show that a thin conformal coating of only several nanometers can completely alter the reflection properties of such an opal. Specifically, a coating with a refractive index larger than that of the spherical particles can eliminate the first photonic band gap of opals. To explain this non-intuitive effect, where a nm-scaled coating results in a drastic change of optical properties at wavelengths a hundred times bigger, we split the permittivity distribution of the opal into a lattice function convoluted with that of core-shell particles as a motif. In reciprocal space, the Bragg peaks that define the first Brillouin zone can be eliminated if the motif function, which is multiplied, assumes zero at the Bragg peak positions. Therefore, we designed a non-monotonic refractive index distribution from the center of the particle through the shell into the background and adjusted the coating thickness. The theory is supported by simulations and experiments that a nanometer thin TiO₂ coating via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on synthetic opals made from polystyrene particles induces nearly full transparency at a wavelength range where the uncoated opal strongly reflects. This effect paves the way for sensing applications such as monitoring the thicknesses growth in ALD in-situ and in real time as well as measuring a refractive index change without spectral interrogation.

SUBMITTER: Shang G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6684641 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transparency induced in opals via nanometer thick conformal coating.

Shang Guoliang G Furlan Kaline Pagnan KP Zierold Robert R Blick Robert H RH Janßen Rolf R Petrov Alexander A Eich Manfred M

Scientific reports 20190806 1

Self-assembled periodic structures out of monodisperse spherical particles, so-called opals, are a versatile approach to obtain 3D photonic crystals. We show that a thin conformal coating of only several nanometers can completely alter the reflection properties of such an opal. Specifically, a coating with a refractive index larger than that of the spherical particles can eliminate the first photonic band gap of opals. To explain this non-intuitive effect, where a nm-scaled coating results in a ...[more]

PMID: 31388189

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Project description:The present research reports on in-water, site-specific photodeposition of glyphosate (GLP)-containing polyacrylamide (PAA-GLP) nanometer-thick films (nanofilms) on an inner surface of fused silica (fused quartz) microcapillaries presilanized with trimethoxy(octen-7-yl)silane (TMOS). TMOS was chosen because of the vinyl group presence in its structure, enabling its participation in the (UV light)-activated free-radical polymerization (UV-FRP) after its immobilization on a fused silica surface. The photodeposition was conducted in an aqueous (H2O/ACN; 3:1, v/v) solution, using UV-FRP (λ = 365 nm) of the acrylamide (AA) functional monomer, the N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) (BAA) cross-linking monomer, GLP, and the azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) UV-FRP initiator. Acetonitrile (ACN) was used as the porogen and the solvent to dissolve monomers and GLP. Because of the micrometric diameters of microcapillaries, the silanization and photodeposition procedures were first optimized on fused silica slides. The introduction of TMOS, as well as the formation of PAA and PAA-GLP nanofilms, was determined using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) spectroscopy, and confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy. Particularly, AFM and SEM-EDX measurements determined nanofilms' thickness and GLP content, respectively, whereas in-depth confocal (micro-Raman spectroscopy)-assisted imaging of PAA- and PAA-GLP-coated microcapillary inner surfaces confirmed the successful photodeposition. Moreover, we examined the GLP impact on polymer gelation by monitoring hydration in a hydrogel and a dried powder PAA-GLP. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of the in-capillary micro-Raman spectroscopy imaging and in-depth profiling of GLP-encapsulated PAA nanofilms. In the future, our simple and inexpensive procedure will enable the fabrication of polymer-based microfluidic chemosensors or adsorptive-separating devices for GLP detection, determination, and degradation.

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Transparency induced in opals via nanometer thick conformal coating.

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Transparency induced in opals via nanometer thick conformal coating.

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