Multiscale Patterning of Metallic Glasses through Sacrificial ZnO Templates

Speaker: 
Jon Singer Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University
Seminar Date: 
Friday, October 31, 2014 - 12:00pm
Location: 
BECTON SEMINAR ROOM See map
Prospect Street
New Haven, CT

Abstract: Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been advanced as a means to achieve multiscale, nanotextured metallic surfaces, due their ability to be thermoplastically formed on various lengthscales into arbitrarily shaped molds by compression or blow molding. The ability to generate such multiscale structures has allowed for BMG surfaces possessing desirable properties for a multitude of applications, including high surface-area electrochemical electrodes, fuel cells, controlled-wetting surfaces, and cellular response-manipulating patterns. The common synthesis method for such patterns relies on lithographically defined silicon or anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) molds. However, even though effective for proof of concept and scientific exploration, AAO molds are expensive, not scalable, and, most importantly, limited to planar surfaces. In order to realize the proven effectiveness of such BMG patterns in applications, a more economic and versatile synthesis process is required. We have developed a generalized method of sacrificial-template imprint of multiscale structures using ZnO nanostructures. It is established that such structures can be grown cheaply and quickly with tunable morphologies on a wide variety of substrates out of solution. In this way, we achieve metallic structures simultaneously demonstrating features from the macroscale down to the nanoscale requiring only macro/microstructured molds and further possessing tunable optical and wetting properties. This is a critical first step in the use of nanotextured BMG surfaces in industrial, medical, and even consumer applications.

Host: 
Paul Fleury
Seminar Announcement Brochure: 

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