Browsing by Author "Tseng, Hsiao-Fan"

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Alignment-Improved and Diameter-Reduced Electrospun Polymer Fibers via the Hot-Stretching Process
(1970-01-01)
Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Li, Jia-Wei
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chang, Kai-Chieh
Electrospinning is one of the most facile and versatile techniques to prepare polymer fibers ranging from micrometers to nanometers. Although several parameters can be tuned to control the sizes and morphologies of electrospun fibers, many obstacles are still encountered as the target sizes of the fibers are getting smaller; for example, the sizes of the fibers can be effectively reduced by lowering the polymer solution concentrations but beaded or beads-on-string structures are usually formed. To overcome such obstacles, here a simple technique to prepare alignment-improved and diameter-reduced fibers without bead formation by hot-stretching electrospun fibers at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperatures of the polymers is developed. Polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) are both used in this work as model materials. The relationship between the draw ratio and diameter of the fibers is quantitatively analyzed, demonstrating the control of the fiber diameters. Moreover, higher degrees of alignment improvement at the middle part of the fibers than those at the end part is observed, which results in lower water contact angles at the middle part of the fibers. This work provides a useful post-treatment technique to control the sizes and orientations of electrospun polymer fibers.
Asymmetric Polymer Particles with Anisotropic Curvatures by Annealing Polystyrene Microspheres on Poly(vinyl alcohol) Films
(2016-11)
Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Cheng, Ming-Hsiang
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Jeng, Kai-Sheng
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Li, Jia-Wei
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Anisotropic polymer particles such as Janus particles have attracted significant attention in recent years because of their unique properties and unusual self-assembly behavior. Most anisotropic polymer particles synthesized so far, however, only have different chemical regions compartmentalized on the particles. It remains a great challenge to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles with different shapes within a single particle. A novel approach is developed to prepare anisotropic polymer particles that contain two hemispheres with different curvatures by annealing polystyrene microspheres on poly(vinyl alcohol) films. During the annealing process, the polymer microspheres gradually sink into the polymer films and transform to asymmetric polymer particles, driven by the surface and interfacial tensions of the polymers. Selective removal techniques are also used to confirm the morphologies of the asymmetric particles.
Dewetting of Swollen Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Films during Spin-Coating Processes: Implications for Device Fabrication
(2018-05-01)
Chung, Pei-Yun
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Cheng, Ming-Hsiang
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Liu, Chih-Ting
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Chiu, Tang-Yao
Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films have been usually prepared by spin-coating for the applications of electronic devices such as organic photovoltaic devices (OPV) and organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The wetting and dewetting behaviors of the swollen P3HT films during the spin-coating processes, however, are still poorly understood. In this work, we investigate the dewetting behaviors of P3HT thin films and the formation of ring structures during the spin-coating process by controlling the spin rates and the solution temperatures. Quantitative studies of the dewetting phenomena are conducted by measuring the sizes of the ring structures of the dewetting patterns. It is observed that the sizes of the ring structures are larger at lower spin rates because of the longer dewetting times allowed during the spin-coating processes. More importantly, the dewetting behaviors of the P3HT films are discovered to be affected by the formation of the P3HT nanowhiskers (nanowires). This work offers a deeper understanding of the dewetting behaviors of swollen P3HT films during the spin-coating processes, which is crucial for the development of P3HT-based optoelectronic devices.
Fabrication and Thermal Dissipation Properties of Carbon Nanofibers Derived from Electrospun Poly(Amic Acid) Carboxylate Salt Nanofibers
(1970-01-01)
Li, Jia-Wei
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chang, Chia-Jui
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He, Hung-Chieh
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Tu, Yi-Hsuan
Polyimides (PIs) possess excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical resistance and can be converted to carbon materials by thermal carbonization. The preparation of carbon nanomaterials by carbonizing PI-based nanomaterials, however, has been less studied. In this work, the fabrication of PI nanofibers is investigated using electrospinning and their transformation to carbon nanofibers. Poly(amic acid) carboxylate salts (PAASs) solutions are first electrospun to form PAAS nanofibers. After the imidization and carbonization processes, PI and carbon nanofibers can then be obtained, respectively. The Raman spectra reveal that the carbon nanofibers are partially graphitized by the carbonization process. The diameters of the PI nanofibers are observed to be smaller than those of the PAAS nanofibers because of the formation of the more densely packed structures after the imidization processes; the diameters of the carbon nanofibers remain similar to those of the PI nanofibers after the carbonization process. The thermal dissipation behaviors of the PI and carbon nanofibers are also examined. The infrared images indicate that the transfer rates of thermal energy for the carbon nanofibers are higher than those for the PI nanofibers, due to the better thermal conductivity of carbon caused by the covalent sp(2) bonding between carbon atoms.
Fabrication and Thermal Insulation Properties of Bamboo-Shaped Polymer Fibers by Selective Solvent Vapor Annealing
(2018-12-01)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chiu, Han-Lun
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Li, Jia-Wei
Fibrillar materials have gained much attention recently because of their unique properties and potential applications. Although many methods have been developed to fabricate materials, it remains challenging to prepare fibrillar materials containing multicomponent materials or even with complex structures. Here, a facile strategy is developed to fabricate bamboo-shaped fibers by treating electrospun polymer core-shell fibers with solvent vapor annealing. Electrospun polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers are first prepared by electrospinning PS/PMMA blend solutions via a phase separation process. When the PS/PMMA core-shell fibers are annealed with the vapor of cyclohexane, which swells and delocalizes the PS domains selectively, the fibers transform into bamboo-shaped structures. The bamboo-shaped structures can be further examined by swelling and delocalizing the PMMA domains selectively, revealing the undulated PS structures. The thermal insulation properties of the fibers with bamboo-shaped structures are observed to be enhanced compared with the original polymer core-shell fibers.
From Electrospun Polymer Core-Shell Fibers to Polymer Hemispheres and Spheres: Two Types of Transformation Processes and Tearing Films with Linearly Arranged Cavities
(2017-11-28)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lo, Yu-Ching
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Electrospun polymer core shell fibers have gained much attention because of their promising applications in areas such as electronic devices, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. The morphology transformation of polymer core shell fibers, however, has been rarely investigated. Here, we study the effect of thermal annealing on the morphology transformation of electrospun polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers on PMMA. films. Two types of transformation processes are discovered. In the first type of the transformation process (type I), the PS cores transform to hemispherical particles after the annealing process; in the second type of the transformation process (type II), the PS cores transform to spherical particles after the annealing process. The measured sizes of the hemispherical and spherical PS domains fall into two classified regions, as predicted for the two different types of transformation processes. It is also observed that the growth rates of the undulated amplitude are similar for the two different types of transformation processes, but the type I fibers start to undulate at later annealing times than the type II fibers do. When the PS particles are selectively removed, the PMMA films with linearly arranged cavities are used for the tearing experiments, demonstrating a proof of concept on the potentials in studying the mechanical properties of cavity-containing films.
Hierarchical Polymer Structures Using Templates and the Modified Breath Figure Method
(2018-06-26)
Lee, Lin-Ruei
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Liu, Chih-Ting
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lin, Kuan-Ting
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Chu, Chien-Wei
Hierarchical structures are commonly observed in nature and possess unique properties. The fabrication of hierarchical structures with well-controlled sizes in different length scales, however, is still a great challenge. To further understand the morphologies and properties of the hierarchical structures, here we present a novel strategy to prepare hierarchical polymer structures by combining the modified breath figure method and the template method. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) honeycomb films with regular micropores are first prepared using the modified breath figure method by dipping PMMA films into mixtures of chloroform and methanol. The polymer chains on the honeycomb films are then annealed and wetted into the nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide templates via capillary forces, resulting in the formation of hierarchical polymer structures. The morphologies of the polymer structures, which can be controlled by the molecular weights of the polymers and the concentrations of the polymer solutions, are characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The surface wettabilities of the polymer structures are also examined by water contact angle measurements, and the hierarchical structures are observed to be more hydrophobic than the flat films and honeycomb films. This work not only provides a feasible approach to fabricate hierarchical polymer structures with controlled sizes but also gives a better understanding of the relationship between surface morphologies and properties.
Morphology transformations of electrospun polymer fibers annealed on polymer films with thickness-controlled growth rates of undulation
(2018-01-03)
Kuo, Tyng-Yow
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
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應用化學系
Electrospun polymer fibers have attracted great attention in recent years because of their unique properties and applications in various areas such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. It remains a great challenge, however, to understand the morphology and property changes of electrospun polymer fibers induced by post-treatment, especially thermal annealing. In this work, we investigate the morphology evolution of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers thermally annealed on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. Driven by the surface and interfacial tensions, the PS fibers transform to a series of regularly aligned anisotropic particles embedded in the PVA films via a Rayleigh instability-type transformation. From the in-situ observed optical microscopy (OM) images, higher growth rates of undulated amplitude can be obtained for thinner PVA films, revealing the effect of the underlying glass substrates. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
On-Film Annealing: A Simple Method to Fabricate Heterogeneous Polymer Surfaces, Porous Films, and Hemispheres
(2015-07-01)
Chen, Jiun-Tai
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Lee, Po-Hsi
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Kao, Yi-Huei
Polymer microspheres have been widely investigated because of their applications in areas such as drug delivery, latex diagnostics, and affinity bioseparators. The effect of annealing on polymer microspheres, however, has been rarely studied. In this work, we demonstrate the morphology transformation of polystyrene (PS) microspheres annealed thermally on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films. During the annealing process, the PS microspheres gradually sink into the PMMA films and transform into PS hemispheres, driven by the reduction of the surface and interfacial energies. The effect of the film thicknesses on the morphology transformation is also studied. In addition, porous PMMA films or PS hemispheres can be obtained by removing the PS or the PMMA domains of the polymer composites using cyclohexane or acetic acid, respectively.
Plateau-Rayleigh Instability Morphology Evolution (PRIME): From Electrospun Core-Shell Polymer Fibers to Polymer Microbowls
(2017-03-01)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lo, Yu-Ching
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Electrospun core-shell fibers have great potentials in many areas, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and organic solar cells. Although many core-shell fibers have been prepared and studied, the morphology transformation of core-shell fibers have been rarely studied. In this work, the morphology evolution of electrospun core-shell polymer fibers driven by the Plateau-Rayleigh instability is investigated. Polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS/PMMA) core-shell fibers are first prepared by using blend solutions and a single axial electrospinning setup. After PS/PMMA core-shell fibers are annealed on a PS film, the fibers undulate and sink into the polymer film, forming core-shell hemispheres. The evolution process, which can be observed in situ by optical microscopy, is mainly driven by achieving lower surface and interfacial energies. The morphologies of the transformed structures can be confirmed by a selective removal technique, and polymer microbowls can be obtained.
Preparation and thermal dissipation of hollow carbon fibers from electrospun polystyrene/poly(amic acid) carboxylate salt core-shell fibers
(2020-05-05)
Li, Jia-Wei
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chang, Chia-Jui
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
Polyimides (PIs) possess great mechanical properties, outstanding thermal stability, solvent inertness, and the ability to be converted into carbon by thermal carbonization. Although studies on carbon materials derived from PIs have been conducted, PI-derived one-dimensional (1D) carbon materials with high surface areas, especially carbon tubes or hollow carbon fibers, have been rarely investigated. In this work, we provide a simple and facile method to prepare hollow carbon fibers by carbonizing hollow PI fibers. Blend solutions of poly(amic acid) carboxylate salts (PAAS) and polystyrene (PS) are electrospun to form core-shell PS/PAAS fibers, in which the PS and PAAS domains are used as sacrificial and precursor materials, respectively. By imidizing the PAAS to PI and selectively removing PS, hollow PI fibers can be obtained. Finally, the hollow PI fibers are carbonized to form hollow carbon fibers. The fiber samples at different stages are examined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The infrared images show that the thermal energy transfer rates of the hollow carbon fibers are higher than those of the hollow PI and PS/PI core-shell fibers, which can be attributed to the better thermal conductivity of carbon resulting from the covalent sp(2) bonding between carbon atoms and the high surface area of the hollow structure.
Radial Linear Polymer Patterns Driven by the Marangoni Instability and Lateral Phase Separation for the Formation of Nanoscale Perforation Lines
(2019-05-01)
Wu, Bo-Hao
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Chang, Kai-Chieh
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Chiu, Tang-Yao
Phase separation under convection, related to the Marangoni instability, is critical in the development of advanced polymer processing technologies. The formation mechanisms of polymer patterns driven by the phase separation under convection, however, still require further investigations. In this work, we study the phase separation of polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bilayer films during the spin-coating processes. PMMA film-coated glass substrates are dripped by PS solutions in toluene before spinning. The concentration gradients of the PS solutions and the swollen PMMA films cause the surface tension-driven Marangoni instability; lateral phase separations also occur during the spin-coating processes, forming the interesting and uncommon radial linear patterns with nanoscale heights on the PS/PMMA bilayer films. By changing the solution waiting time and spin rates, the surface morphologies of the PS/PMMA bilayer films can be controlled. At longer waiting times, the higher degrees of swelling of the PMMA films by the solvents allow the formation of the polymer patterns; at higher spin-coating rates, the faster solvent evaporation improves the ordering of the polymer patterns. Furthermore, the morphologies of the PS/PMMA bilayer films can be confirmed using the selective removal technique; the PS films with linear-arranged cavities and the PMMA films with bumps can be obtained using acetic acid and cyclohexane, respectively. Finally, a proof of concept on the potentials in applying the cavities-containing PS films for nanoscale perforation lines is also demonstrated.
Sequential Selective Solvent On-Film Annealing: Fabrication of Monolayers of Ordered Anisotropic Polymer Particles
(2020-08-05)
Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Liang, Xiaobin
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Liu, Chih-Ting
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Li, Jia-Wei
Although various strategies have been developed to prepare anisotropic polymeric particles, it remains challenging to fabricate monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles, which can extend the applications of anisotropic particles. Here, we develop a novel and facile approach to fabricate monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles. Monolayers of polystyrene (PS) microspheres with a mean diameter of 10 mu m are deposited on glass substrates coated with poly(methyl methacrylate) films, followed by sequential selective solvent on-film annealing processes. Monolayers of anisotropic polymeric particles, such as the snowman-like PS particles, are successfully fabricated. Such unique structures possess the long-range ordering of monolayers (the structure factor) and the anisotropic geometry of individual particles (the form factor). The nanomechanical properties of the PS particles are also characterized using atomic force microscopy force volume measurements, showing a decrease in the Young's moduli of the PS particles owing to the looser packing of the polymer chains. This work provides the most facile and versatile strategy by far to fabricate monolayers of ordered anisotropic polymeric particles, which arc inaccessible by other traditional means.
Snake Tracks in Polymer Land: Wavy Polymer Structures via Selective Solvent Vapor Annealing
(2020-08-25)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Weng, Chang-Ching
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Hsu, Hsun-Hao
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
Wavy patterns are interesting geometric patterns and commonly seen in nature, such as serpentine streams or snake tracks in the sand. Although many efforts have been devoted to fabricating artificial wavy structures, it remains a great challenge to obtain wavy structures with controllable curvatures and desired functional properties. Here, we present an unprecedented approach to generate wavy polymer structures by annealing electrospun core-shell fibers on polymer films. Polystyrene (PS)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell fibers, produced via the viscosity-induced phase separation in the electrospinning process, are annealed on PMMA films using vapors of acetic acid, a selective solvent for PMMA but not for PS. After the swollen PMMA chains of the PMMA shells are shed, the revealed PS cores start to buckle, driven by the elastic force from the strain release, forming the wavy structures. The degrees of the buckling, measured by the curvatures and the amplitudes of the wavy structures, are controlled by the annealing times. Furthermore, fluorescent properties are selectively introduced to the wavy structures using pyrene solutions or pyrene-containing vapors, demonstrating the potential application as fluorescent wavy materials.
Solvent On-Film Annealing (SOFA): Morphological Evolution of Polymer Particles on Polymer Films via Solvent Vapor Annealing
(2017-07-11)
Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Cheng, Ming-Hsiang
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Li, Jia-Wei
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
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應用化學系
Over the past few decades, anisotropic polymer particles are of significant interest because of their unique properties which can be applied in various areas, such as drug delivery, biotechnology, and electronics. Most approaches to synthesize anisotropic polymer particles, however, are complicated, and the three-dimensional shapes of the anisotropic particles are usually difficult to be controlled. In this work, we develop a solvent on-film annealing (SOFA) method to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles by studying the morphological evolution of polystyrene (PS) microspheres on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films annealed in toluene vapor. At different annealing stages, the isotropic PS microspheres gradually transform to anisotropic PS particles with different morphologies, such as UFO-, cymbal-, peanut-, and bowl-shaped particles. The morphology evolution is driven by the surface and interfacial tensions during the annealing processes and can be confirmed by a selective removal technique. Acetic acid, a selective solvent for PMMA, and cyclohexane, a selective solvent for PS, are also used as the annealing solvents to further investigate the effect of the annealing solvent.
Solvent-Induced Shape Recovery of Anisotropic Polymer Particles Prepared by a Modified Thermal Stretching Method
(2018-07-17)
Lo, Yu-Ching
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Li, Jia-Wei
Anisotropic polymer particles have attracted great attention because of their unique properties and potential applications in various areas, such as microelectronics, drug delivery, and medical imaging. The fabrication and morphology control, especially the shape recovery, of anisotropic polymer particles, however, remains a challenging task. In this work, we develop a novel strategy to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles by thermally stretching poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films embedding polystyrene (PS) microspheres using a weight. Depending on the preannealing condition, anisotropic PS particles with two different shapes, sharp-headed and blunt-headed PS particles, can be obtained. The PVA films can be selectively removed by isopropanol/water, releasing the anisotropic PS particles. By adding tetrahydrofuran (THF), a good solvent for PS, into the PS particle-containing solutions, the anisotropic particles gradually transform back to spheres to reduce the total interfacial energies. The shape recovery rates of the polymer particles can be controlled by the amount of the added THF. This work not only provides a simple and feasible route to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles but also contributes to a deeper understanding in the solvent-induced shape recovery process from anisotropic polymer particles to polymer spheres.
Synthesis and characterisation of liquid crystal molecules based on thieno [3,2-b] thiophene and their application in organic field-effect transistors
(2017-02-01)
Liau, Wei-Lung
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Su, Yi-Jen
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
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Hsu, Chain-Shu
A thieno [3,2-b] thiophene-based planar liquid crystal molecule, C-12-PTTT, which possesses the characteristics of an organic field-effect transistor (OFET), was synthesised and its mesomorphic properties were studied by polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. A wide temperature range for a highly oriented smectic phase was observed. OFET devices made under various conditions, such as self-assembled monolayer treatment and alignment treatment, and with micro-channel structures, were fabricated to measure the electrical properties. Among different OFET device conditions, the best electric carrier mobility for C-12-PTTT was 0.038 cm(2)V(-1)s(-1). [GRAPHICS]
Thermal-Annealing-Induced Self-Stretching: Fabrication of Anisotropic Polymer Particles on Polymer Films
(2017-10-31)
Lo, Yu-Ching
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
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交大名義發表
Designing anisotropic particles of various shapes draws great attention to scientists nowadays. We develop a facile and simple method to fabricate anisotropic polymer particles from spherical polymer particles. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films spin-coated with polystyrene (PS) micro spheres are confined on both sides using binder clips and are heated above the glass-transition temperatures of the polymers. During the thermal annealing process, the PS particles sink into the PVA films and transform to anisotropic particles. Depending on the distances to the bound regions, oblate spheroid PS particles or prolate spheroid particles with different aspect ratios can be obtained. The transformation of the particles is mainly driven by the stretching forces and the squeezing forces. The main advantage of this method is that anisotropic particles with different shapes can be fabricated simultaneously on a single film. We expect that this novel method can be helpful to various fields including colloids science, suspension rheology, and drug delivery.
Three-dimensional thermal annealing: An unconventional method to fabricate monodisperse polymer nanoparticles from polymer films
(2016-12)
Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Kuo, Tyng-Yow
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Cheng, Ming-Hsiang
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Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Lo, Yu-Ching
We develop a simple and feasible method to fabricate polymer nanoparticles by annealing polymer films in a uniform environment. Different from the conventional methods, no extra additive or emulsifier is needed in the preparation processes. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films are used as a model system and annealed at elevated temperatures in ethylene glycol, which provides a uniform three-dimensional annealing environment and acts as stabilizers once the nanoparticles are formed. After the annealing process, PMMA nanoparticles with monodisperse diameters are formed. By examining the remaining films after the annealing process, the formation mechanism, which involves surface undulation and detachment of polymer nanoparticles, is proposed. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 2471-2475
Two-Step Solvent On-Film Annealing (2-SOFA) Method: Fabrication of Anisotropic Polymer Particles and Implications for Colloidal Self-Assembly
(2018-09-01)
Tseng, Hsiao-Fan
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Chiu, Yu-Jing
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Wu, Bo-Hao
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Li, Jia-Wei
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Chen, Jiun-Tai
In recent years, anisotropic polymer particles have gained increased interest owing to their special properties and broader applications, such as drug delivery, optical traps, and e-paper display. Most strategies to produce anisotropic polymer particles, however, require sophisticated instruments or additional surfactants. Here, we develop a simple and versatile method, the two-step solvent on-film annealing (2-SOFA) technique, to make anisotropic polymer particles with different shapes. Polystyrene (PS) microspheres spin-coated on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films are chosen as model materials. By sequentially annealing the PS/PMMA composites in different solvent vapors, anisotropic polymer particles with distinctive and diverse shapes can be produced, such as half-eaten-peach-shaped, snowman-shaped, and bowler-hat-shaped morphologies. An exquisite selective removal strategy is applied to check the morphologies of the PS/PMMA composite films and to comprehend the transformation mechanism at different annealing steps and times. For particles merged from multiple microspheres, quantitative studies are also performed to figure out the relationships between the sizes of the merged particles and the numbers of the original microspheres. These results have implications for colloidal self-assembly.