Synthesis and characterization of micropatterned polystyrene-polycarbonate surfaces

Traditional lithographic techniques which have an extensive application area such as biomedical, optics, electronics and catalysis are the most commonly used techniques for the patterning of micro and nano porous structured material surfaces and expensive techniques which requires rigid templates. Breath Figure Technique is an easily applicable, a non-expensive technique and an alternative method to traditional lithographic techniques to fabricate porous membranes with a hexagonal or spherical array. In this technique each of the water droplets acts as a template so it is not necessary to have a rigid template. Since it allows control of the wettability and functionality of the membranes and pore size, micro or nanometer scaled porous membranes can be fabricated. In this technique, hexagonal/spherical patterned porous membranes can be obtained on the surfaces which exposed to highly humid environments with natural condensation and controlled evaporation. So, it is not necessary to have specially produced templates or specially designed machines for the fabrication of these exclusive templates. In this thesis study, the synthesis of the porous membranes which were made by using polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) and also their composites which composed of different compositions of these polymers on glass and polypropylene (PP) film surfaces in the different relative humidity environments on static conditions by the help of Breath Figure Technique. All obtained surfaces were characterized by optical microscopy and contact angle measurements. The effect of the different relative humidity conditions on the pore diameter was evaulated for the different concentration of the polymers and their composites. It was determined that average por diameter is generally increased with the increase of relative humidity. In addition, more ordered Breath Figure structures were obtained on polypropylene film surfaces respect to glass surfaces expecially for the spesific compositions of the polymer composites.