Block-Copolymer-Based Nanostructured Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

Abstract

Block copolymers (BCPs) are one of the revolutionized materials to create nanoscopic objects. Due to its simple but well-defined nanostructures, it has been widely used in numerous applications including material science, biomedical science, electronics, sensing areas as well as environmental and energy fields. Among these potential applications, the most crucial issues, nowadays, are definitely energy-related applications such as energy conversion and storage devices. Utilizing BCPs enable us to have more chance to tailor nanodomains with ordered structures. One promising method is to arrange metal nanoparticles with ordered array using BPC micelle templates. In particular, this method can be applied to solution process at room temperature and the resulting metal nanoparticle arrays with tunable optical properties can be easily introduced to device applications. Combining metal nanoparticles with BCPs that have stimuli-responsive properties, optical properties can be also tuned even by small external force, allowing sensing applications. Moreover, the most powerful and challenge is energy storage application which has so many critical issues including additional consideration in electrochemical property, choice of suitable polymeric materials, and thermal stability. In this thesis, polystyrene-block-poly(vinylpyridine) (PS-b-PVP) amphiphilic BCPs are mainly used for energy conversion applications such as photodetector, surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS), and energy storage application, in particular, separator membrane for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.