Two-photon polymerization lithography for imaging optics

Optical imaging systems have greatly extended human visual capabilities,enabling the observation and understanding of diverse phenomena.Imaging technologies span a broad spectrum of wavelengths from x-ray to radio frequencies and impact research activities and our daily lives.Traditional glass lenses are fabricated through a series of complex processes,while polymers offer versatility and ease of production.However,modern applications often require complex lens assemblies,driving the need for miniaturization and advanced designs with micro-and nanoscale features to surpass the capabilities of traditional fabrication methods.Three-dimensional(3D)printing,or additive manufacturing,presents a solution to these challenges with benefits of rapid prototyping,customized geometries,and efficient production,particularly suited for miniaturized optical imaging devices.Various 3D printing methods have demonstrated advantages over traditional counterparts,yet challenges remain in achieving nanoscale resolutions.Two-photon polymerization lithography(TPL),a nanoscale 3D printing technique,enables the fabrication of intricate structures beyond the optical diffraction limit via the nonlinear process of two-photon absorption within liquid resin.It offers unprecedented abilities,e.g.alignment-free fabrication,micro-and nanoscale capabilities,and rapid prototyping of almost arbitrary complex 3D nanostructures.In this review,we emphasize the importance of the criteria for optical performance evaluation of imaging devices,discuss material properties relevant to TPL,fabrication techniques,and highlight the application of TPL in optical imaging.As the first panoramic review on this topic,it will equip researchers with foundational knowledge and recent advancements of TPL for imaging optics,promoting a deeper understanding of the field.By leveraging on its high-resolution capability,extensive material range,and true 3D processing,alongside advances in materials,fabrication,and design,we envisage disruptive solutions to current challenges and a promising incorporation of TPL in future optical imaging applications.

A new series of two-photon polymerization initiators:Synthesis and nonlinear optical properties

Four photopolymerization initiators with D-π-D (D,donor; π,conjugation system) structure have been synthesized by solvent-free reaction and characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy,IR and elemental analysis. The one-photon and two-photon excited fluorescence have been investigated in different solvents. Experimental results of the one-photon and two-photon absorption cross sections show different trends in OPA and TPA ability with different substitution groups in donor units.

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate with α,α-Dichlorotoluene or α,α,α-Trichlorotoluene as Initiator

The atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate using α.α dichlorotoluene or α.α.α-trichlorotoluene as the initiator and CuCl/2.2'-bipyridine complex as the catalyst was investigated. α,α-Dichlorotoluene gave good control of molecular weight with high initiation efficiency and low polydispersity. While α.α.α-trichlorotoluene gave very slow polymerization rate. which could be improved by the addition of Cu (0) to the system.

NON-ACETAL INITIATORS FOR GROUP TRANSFER POLYMERIZATION

It is reported that a variety of trimethylsilyl enol ethers of ketones and aldehydes can be used to initiate GTP of methacrylates and acryl- ates.The new initiators are easy to prepare from ketones or aldehydes.PMMA and PMA with controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity were obtained by using non-acetal initiators in the presence of bibenzoate,bifluo ide or Hgl_2,The living nature of polymerization is shown by the correspondence of theoretical and observed molecular weight and the preparation of A-B-A type triblock copolymer with methacrylate and acrylate segments can be prepared.

Kinetics of Vinyl Chloride Polymerization with Mixture of Initiators

Kinetic models for the rate constants of vinyl chloride polymerization in the presence of initiator mixtures were proposed. They may be used to design the initiator recipes for the vinyl chloride polymerization with uniform rate at different temperatures at which various grades of poly(vinyl chloride) will be prepared.

STUDIES ON THE KINETICS AND INITIATION MECHANISM OF ACRYLAMIDE POLYMERIZATION USING CERIC/ACETOACETANILIDE SYSTEM AS INITIATOR

It is found that acetoacetanilide possesses very high promoting reactivity towards ceric ion in initiating polymerization of vinyl monomer. The kinetics of acrylamide polymerization and the activation energies were studied. The initiation mechanism of ceric/acetoacetanilide is proposed on the basis of experimental results of FT-IR and ESR.

The Ring-opening Polymerization of D, L-Lactide Initiated with Stannous Octoate

The ring-opening polymerization of D, L-lactide in the melt was systematically investigated by using stannous octoate as the initiator. The molecular weight of poly (D, L-lactide) was characterized with M,. Mn and Mw respectively. The results indicated that five variables, namely purity of monomer, initiator to monomer ratio, vacuum level, polymerization temperature and polymerization time had different influences on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of poly(D. L-lactide).

Synthesis and characterization of miktoarm star copolymer of styrene and butadiene using multifunctional macromolecular initiator

A new kind of multifunctional macromolecular initiator with Sn-C bonds and polydiene arms was synthesized by living anionic polymerization. At first, polydiene-stannum chloride （PD-SnCl3） was prepared by the reaction of n-butyl-Li （n-BuLi）, stannic chloride （SnCl4） and diene. Then PD-SnCl3 was used to react with the dilithium initiator to prepare the multifunctional organic macromolecular initiators. The result suggested that the initiators had a remarkable yield by GPC, nearly 90%. By using these multifunctional macromolecular initiators, styrene and butadiene were effectively polymefized via anionic polymerization, which gave birth to novel miktoarm star copolymers. The relative molecular weight and polydispersity index, microstructure contents, copolymerization components, glass transition temperature （Tg） and morphology of the miktoarm star copolymers were investigated by GPC-UV, ~H NMR, DSC and TEM, respectively. 2009 Xing Ying Zhang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

STUDIES ON THE INITIATION MECHANISM OF ORGANIC PEROXIDE AND N-METHACRYLOYLOXYETHYL-N-METHYL ANILINE IN METHYL METHACRYLATE POLYMERIZATION

The initiation mechanism of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization by organic peroxide and polymerizable aromatic tertiary amine such as N-methacryloyloxyethyl-N-methyl aniline (MEMA) binary system has been studied. The kinetics of polymerization of MMA and the ESR spectra of organic peroxide/MEMA system were determined. Based on the ESR study and the end-group analysis by UV spectra of the polymer formed, the initiation mechanism is proposed.

UV-induced Self-initiated Graft Polymerization of Acrylamide onto Poly(ether ether ketone)

Photo-grafting of hydrophilic monomer was used to enhance the hydrophilicity of poly（ether ether ketone） （PEEK） with the aim of extending its applications to biological fields. PEEK sheets were surface modified by grafting of acrylamide（AAm） with ultraviolet（UV） irradiation in the presence or absence of benzophenone（BP）. The effects of BP, irradiation time and monomer concentration on the surface wettability of PEEK were investigated. Characteriza tion of modified PEEK using scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy-disperse spectrometer（EDS） and water contact angle measurements shows that AAm was successfully grafted on PEEK surface both in presence and absence of BP. With the increase in irradiation time and monomer concentration, contact angles decrease to as low as 30°, demonstrating a significant improvement of surface hydrophilicity. In agreement with the decrease in contact angle, under identical conditions, the nitrogen concentration increases, suggesting the increase in grafting degree of the grafting polymerization. This investigation demonstrates a self-initiation of PEEK due to its BP-like structure in the backbone of the polymer. Though the graft polymerization proceeds more readily in the presence of BP, the self-initiated graft polymerization is clearly observed.

Remote plasma enhanced cyclic etching of a cyclosiloxane polymer thin film

The continuous evolution of chip manufacturing demands the development of materials with ultra-low dielectric constants.With advantageous dielectric and mechanical properties,initiated chemical vapor deposited(iCVD)poly(1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane)(pV3D3)emerges as a promising candidate.However,previous works have not explored etching for this cyclosiloxane polymer thin film,which is indispensable for potential applications to the back-end-of-line fabrication.Here,we developed an etching process utilizing O2/Ar remote plasma for cyclic removal of iCVD pV3D3 thin film at sub-nanometer scale.We employed in-situ quartz crystal microbalance to investigate the process parameters including the plasma power,plasma duration and O2 flow rate.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional microscopy reveal the formation of an oxidized skin layer during the etching process.This skin layer further substantiates an etching mechanism driven by surface oxidation and sputtering.Additionally,this oxidized skin layer leads to improved elastic modulus and hardness and acts as a barrier layer for protecting the bottom cyclosiloxane polymer from further oxidation.

GRAFT POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE ONTO HOMOPOLYMER OF 5-METHYL-5-HEXEN-2, 4-DIONE INITIATED BY CERIC ION

The homopolymerization of 5-methyl-5-hexen-2,4-dione (methacryloylacetone, MAA), a vinyl monomer having beta-diketone group, was carried out in the presence of benzophenone (BP)/N, N-dimenthyl-4-toluidine (DMT) system. Graft polymerization of acrylamide initiated by eerie ion onto the homopolymer film was investigated and the mechanism of the grafting reaction was proposed on the basis of ESR study. The grafted copolymer was characterized by means of grafting percentage, water absorption, XPS spectra and scanning electron photomicrographs.

PHOTOSENSITIVITY OF CERIC ION INITIATED ACRYLAMIDE POLYMERIZATION

Polymerization of acrylamide initiated by ceric ammonium nitrate alone has been studied in aqueous medium. The effects of UV light irradiation on the initial rates of polymerization, the activation energy and on the polymer molecular weights have been investigated. Compared with that in the dark, the rate of polymerization under UV light was accelerated to eleven times higher, and the overall activation energy was lowered markedly.

A Novel Continuously Initiated Polymerization by One-Atmosphere Low Temperature Plasma Device

A novel atmospheric plasma device developed in this paper, which is more effective and convenient to study the plasma-initiated polymerization (PIP) than conventional setup. The structure and mechanism of the device is introduced. Some plasma-initiated polymerization experiments are carried out on the device, and the conversion of AA (Acrylic acid) and AM (Acryl amide) atmospheric (N2) plasma polymerization are respectively 89% and 94% after 120 h post polymerization, whereby IR spectra of the product (AA, AM). Our PIP result are confirmed.

UV LASER INITIATED STEREOSELECTIVE HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS POLYMERIZATION OF PHENYLACETYLENE

In this paper, the stereoselective homogeneous catalysis polymerization of phenylacetylene by using two kinds of catalysts W(CO)_5CH_3I and W(CO)_4I_2 produced from UV laser photolysis of W (CO)_6 in CH_3I, I_2—C_6H_6 and CHI_3—C_6H_6 respectively was studied. The effects of laser energy, laser irradiation time and lifetime of catalyst on the polymerization of phenylacetylene were discussed. The photoproducts of W (CO)_6 in CH_3I, I2—C_6H_6 and CHI_3—C_6I_6 were determined by IR spectra. The structures of polyphenylacetylene obtained by W (CO)_5CH_3I and W (CO)_4I_2 catalysts were characterized by IR spectra and ~1H NMR spectra.

PHOTOSENSITIVITY OF Ce (Ⅳ) INITIATED METHYL ACRYLATE POLYMERIZATION

The influences of UV light irradiation (313 nm) and diffused daylight on the polymerization of methyl acrylate initiated by the ceric ammonium nitrate without any reducing agent have been studied both in aqueous nitric acid and in pure water. The rate of polymerization was found to be accelerated and the overall activation energy and the induction time were found to be decreased sharply by the UV light irradiation. Under UV light, the rate of polymerization is 8 times as high as the rate in dark. The rate of polymerization was found to attain a maximum with the increase of nitric acid concentration and the rate of polymerization became less sensitive to UV light in the presence of nitric acid whereas the induction period reduced outstandingly. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism is proposed.

Numerical Analysis of Plasma Initiated Polymerization

Plasma initiated polymerization is a kind of well-known radical polymerization mechanism, but it has the ＇living＇ polymerization feature and produces ultra-high molecular weight polymer. In order to explain such phenomena, we calculate the basic data of plasma initiated polymerization of methylmethacrylate （MMA） according to the principle of polymer physics and chemistry. It results in that the radical concentration ranges from 10^-12mol/L to 10^-16mol/L corresponding to the radical life in 10^4s to 10^8s, which means the radicals have a long lifetime. Moreover because of the long lifetime radicals it causes a unique feature rather than the common radical polymerization, and also shows no ＂living polymerization＂. It is noticed in experiments that there are two key factors playing important roles. One is the effective radical amount produced during the plasma discharging while the another is the diffusion factor.

NEW INITIATION SYSTEMS FOR ATOM TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

This review summarizes our achievements in designing new initiation systems for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). First-order kinetics and extension experiments revealed the living nature of these reactions. Tailor- made vinyl polymers with functional end groups were characterized by 1H-NMR and UV-vis spectroscopic analyses. Replacing traditional radical initiators AIBN and BPO, carbon-carbon bond compounds, 1,1,2,2-tetraphenyl-1,2-ethanediol, diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-diphenylsuccinate and diethyl 2,3-dicyano-2,3-di(p-tolyl)succinate, were utilized in reverse ATRP to produce the initiating radical. Sulfur-sulfur bond iniferter, tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TD), in conjunction with CuBr/bpy or NiCl2/PPh3 complex could control the styrene polymerization via redox reaction. Pseudo-halogen transfer reaction was demonstrated to maintain the dormant-active species equilibrium in normal and reverse ATRP with Cu(S2CNEt2), Cu(S2CNEt2)Cl and Fe(S2CNEt2)3 as catalysts. The organic halide initiator and reduced transition metal compound that started the living polymerization were produced in situ from the components of TD/FeCl3/PPh3, TD/CuBr2/bpy and Fe(S2CNEt2)3/FeCl3/PPh3 systems. Accurate control of UV irradiation time favored the radical generation process in photo ATRP with the 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone/Fe(S2CNEt2)3 initiation system.

CATIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF 1,3—PENTADIENE INITIATED BY ORGANIC AZIDE/Et_2AlCl

The cationic polymerization of 1, 3-pentadiene was initiated by the organic azide/Et_2 AlClinitiating system in CH_2Cl_2 and n-hexane. The polymerizations were also carried out in parallelwith organic chloride/Et_2AlCl and Et_2 AlCl alone for comparison. The Et_2 AlCl- induced polymer-ization gives a low yield while the polymerization initiated by organic chloride/Et_2 AlCl producesmainly insoluble product. In contrast, the polymerization with azide/Et,AlCl has a high conver-sion and the resulting polymer having a high molecular weight is totally soluble. The SEC spectraof the polymers have clearly shown the differences between these initiating systems.

VINYL RADICAL POLYMERIZATION INITIATED WITH CERIC ION AND ETHYL N, N-DIETHYLDITHIOCARBAMYL ACETATE SYSTEM

Acrylamide polymerization initiated with a redox initiation system consisting of eerie ion and ethyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl acetate (EDCA) has been studied. It was found that the polymerization rate equation is in good agreement with that of a redox initiated polymerization, and the overall activation energy of the polymerization was determined to be 25.2 kJ.mol(-1). Accordingly, the system belongs to a redox initiator. The initiation mechanism was proposed based on the end group analysis using FT-IR, UV spectroscopies. Analysis results revealed that the N, N-diethyldithiocarbamyl radical produced from the redox reaction of EDCA with eerie ion can initiate acrylonitrile (AN) polymerization and form the end group on PAN. The resulting PAN was photopolymerized with butyl acrylate (BE) to form PAN-b-PBA block copolymer.