Esther Rebollar

Spanish National Research Council | CSIC · Institute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera

Recent years have witnessed an increasing interest in the synthesis and study of BODIPY-glycoconjugates. Most of the described synthetic methods toward these derivatives involve postfunctional modifications of the BODIPY core followed by the covalent attachment of the fluorophore and the carbohydrate through a “connector”. Conversely, few de novo s...

Here, we present a detailed description of the in situ isothermal crystallization of poly(trimethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)(PTF) as revealed by real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). From FTIR experiments, the evolution of hydrogen bonding with crystallization time can...

In this work, laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are generated on the surface of thin films of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) fabricated by spin coating on silicon. Previous studies had shown the appearance of LIPSS in this type of materials with femtosecond laser pulses in the near‐infrared region of the spectrum, despite the extr...

Fused filament fabrication, commonly referred to as 3D printing, is an additive manufacturing method finding plenty of applications nowadays. In contrast, polymer nanopatterning by nanolithographic techniques plays an important role in obtaining functional surfaces and coatings for applications in different fields including micro‐ and nanoelectroni...

The presence of F or CN substituents at boron in BODIPYs causes a dramatic effect on their reactivity, which allows their chemoselective postfunctionalization. Thus, whereas 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl B(CN)2-BODIPYs displayed enhanced reactivity in Knoevenagel condensations with aldehydes, the corresponding BF2-BODIPYs can experience selective aromatic el...

A study of the formation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) using near-infrared femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films deposited over gold substrates has been carried out. We report the influence of the gold substrate roughness and the PET film thickness on LIPSS formation and analyze it i...

In this work, the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the surfaces of thin films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and PET reinforced with expanded graphite (EG) was studied. Laser irradiation was carried out by ultraviolet (265 nm) and near-infrared (795 nm) femtosecond laser pulses, and LIPSS were formed in both...

We envisioned a new approach for achieving triplet-triplet annihilation-assisted photon upconversion based on the rational design of a heavy-atom-free, all-organic and photoactivatable triplet-triplet synergistic multichromophoric molecular assembly. This single molecular architecture is easily built by covalently anchoring triplet-annihilator unit...

Thin films of polymeric blends composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) were investigated by varying the concentration of the two components over the entire range of compositions and the molecular weight of PEO. Phase separation and crystallization have been studied at different len...

Ferroelectric polymer nanoparticles of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) were prepared by dialysis nanoprecipitation. Particles with mean diameter of 230 nm show piezoelectric response as observed by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM). The origin of this ferroelectric behavior has been attributed to the presence of ferroelectrically active crystal...

We performed a time-gated laser-spectroscopy study in a set of heavy-atom free single BODIPY fluorophores, supported by accurate, excited-state computational simulations of the key low-lying excited states in these chromophores. Despite the strong fluorescence of these emitters, we observed a significant fraction of time-delayed (microseconds scale...

We have established an easy synthetic protocol for selectively developing all-orthogonal BODIPY trimers with unprecedented geometries on the basis of selecting methyl oxidation versus electrophilic formylation of key dimeric precursors. Photophysical characterization together with biological assays unraveled the most suitable BODIPY-BODIPY geometri...

BINOL moieties of different electronic demand are useful blocks for enabling the photo-production and modulation of triplet excited states in readily-accesible BINOL-based O-BODIPY dyes from standard F-BODIPY precursors. The rapid...

Thin films of silicon carbide (SiC) on Si (100) and SrTiO 3 (100) substrates have been grown by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with a Q -switched Nd:YAG laser operating at the wavelengths of 1064, 532 and 266 nm. The deposits obtained consisted of smooth and uniform layers of amorphous SiC, free of holes and cracks, with thicknesses in th...

We have investigated the crystallization of the thermoplastic polymer Poly(vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF) during “operando” 3D printing Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). The performance of the 3D printing set-up and the corresponding methodology for performing simultaneous SAXS/WAXS with synchrotron radiation have been discussed. Simultaneous SAXS and...

Generation of triplet states in assemblies of organic chromophores is extremely appealing for their potential use in optoelectronic applications. In this work, we investigate the intricacies of triplet state generation in an orthogonal BODIPY dimer by combining delayed photoemission techniques with electronic structure calculations. Our analysis pr...

In this work, we prepare and characterize multiphasic thin films containing poly(ε-caprolactone), PCL, poly(butylene succinate), PBS, and a poly (butylene succinate-ran-ϵ-caprolactone) (PBS-ran-PCL) random copolyester. To that aim, thin films were prepared by sequential dipping of a silicon substrate into chloroform solutions of the respective poly...

Laser-based methods have demonstrated to be effective in the fabrication of surface micro- and nanostructures, which have a wide range of applications, such as cell culture, sensors or controlled wettability. One laser-based technique used for micro- and nanostructuring of surfaces is the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPS...

The optical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) can be controlled by processing the polymer in the form of nanoparticles dispersed in aqueous mediums. Colloids of P3HT were prepared by two different methods: flash –or reprecipitation- and miniemulsion precipitation technique, which result in the latter case in a polymer-water syste...

In this article we explore the potential of synchrotron Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS) to evaluate the extension of a Photoinduced Resist-free Imprinting (PRI) effect for grating-like Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) on spin-coated thin films of the fullerene derivative [6], [6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid meth...

Nanostructured thin films of Co-doped zinc sulfide were synthesized through femtosecond pulsed laser deposition. The scheme involved ablation of physically mixed Co and ZnS with pairs of ultrashort pulses separated in time in the 0–300 ps range. In situ monitorization of the deposition process was carried out through a simultaneous reflectivity mea...

The search for long‐lived red and NIR fluorescent dyes is challenging and hitherto scarcely reported. Herein, the viability of aza‐BODIPY skeleton as a promising system for achieving thermal activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) probes emitting in this target region is demonstrated for the first time. The synthetic versatility of this scaffold allow...

Polymer nanostructures were developed on fully bio-based poly(trimethylene furanoate) (PTF) films, by using the technique of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS). We found that irradiation times between 1 and 8 min allowed the formation of periodic and nanometric ripples, when using an UV pulsed laser source at a fluence of 8 mJ/cm². T...

Advanced materials often involve multi-dependent approaches, merging electrical, optical and magnetic responses in nanostructured systems. To this purpose we have explored a semi-transparent, soft magnetic thin film (Permalloy) of nano-undulated morphology with which uniaxial anisotropy can be induced and tuned. This media is grown on the ripple su...

We report the study of the formation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS), with UV femtosecond laser pulses (λ = 265 nm), in free-standing films of both Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and the composite PTT/tungsten disulfide inorganic nanotubes (PTT-WS2). We characterized the range of fluences and number of pulses necessary...

p>Nanostructured wrinkles were developed on fully bio-based poly(trimethylene furanoate) (PTF) films by using the technique of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS). We investigated the effect of irradiation time on wrinkle formation using an UV pulsed laser source, at a fluence of 8 mJ/cm2. It was found that the pulse range between 600...

The evolution of the magnetic anisotropy directions has been studied in a magnetite (Fe3O4) thin film grown by infrared pulsed-laser deposition on SrTiO3(100):Nb substrate. The magnetic easy axes at room temperature are found along the in-plane <100> film directions, which means a rotation of the easy axis by 45° with respect to the directions typi...

We report the measurement of form and magnetic birefringence in Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) films grown on rippled Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate), PET, substrates. Prior to Permalloy deposition, Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) were generated on the polymeric substrate by a nanosecond laser beam, developing an ordered rippled nanostructure....

Bulk bismuth presents outstanding optical properties, such as a giant infrared refractive index (n∼10) and a negative ultraviolet-visible permittivity induced by giant interband electronic transitions. Although such properties are very appealing for applications in nanophotonics, the dielectric function of bismuth nanostructures has been scarcely s...

High quality stoichiometric magnetite (Fe3O4) films grown by infrared pulsed laser deposition (IR-PLD) on different surfaces were investigated in order to study the influence of the substrate, orientation, and thickness on their magnetic behavior. Different single crystal (001)-oriented substrates, i.e., SrTiO3(001), MgAl2O4(001) and MgO(001), have...

We report a method to produce nanosecond pulsed laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on spin-coated [6,6]‑phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) films exhibiting a photoinduced resist-free imprinting (PRI) property. LIPSS in PC71BM are resist free and can be solvent developed, under certain conditions, leaving the laser illumina...

Bulk bismuth presents outstanding optical properties, such as a giant infrared refractive index (n near 10) and a negative ultraviolet visible permittivity induced by giant interband electronic transitions. Although such properties are very appealing for applications in nanophotonics, the dielectric function of bismuth nanostructures has been scarc...

Thin films of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)complexed with Poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)on Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)have been prepared by inkjet printing technology. The process allows obtaining thin films over large areas. A relatively broad range of thicknesses can be obtained by the addition of subsequent polymer layers resembling an additive...

The formation of gratings on the surface of a silicon wafer by nanosecond laser irradiation through a phase mask using an ArF laser emitting at 193 nm is studied. The phase mask along with some focusing optics is capable to generate via interference a periodic intensity distribution, which can be used for surface patterning. The surface patterning...

In this work, we report on a detailed quantitative nanomechanical mapping of free-standing films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and the composite PET/expanded graphite (EG) with 0.4% in weight of the nanoadditive, and of these materials nanostructured by laser irradiation. By using atomic force microscopy, we obtained simultaneously the topo...

Ordered and homogeneous laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) could be fabricated in poly(3-hexyl thiophene):[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC71BM) blends by using wavelengths in the ultraviolet (UV) range (266 nm). The absorption coefficient of PC71BM, which is maximum in its UV–Visible absorption spectrum around 266...

Wrinkled surfaces can be obtained through the control of surface instabilities produced by repeated irradiation of polymer surfaces by pulsed lasers. By the combination of the electric field associated with the laser beam and the heating of the polymer surface during a short period of time, which typically is in the range of nanosecond, when the ir...

A novel combination of nanostructuring techniques is undertaken to obtain a multifunctional material system consisting of planar arrays of nanoribbons of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The first stage was to prepare a laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) on the PET substrate, which electron micros...

Resonant soft x-ray scattering at the carbon K edge is shown to be an unambiguous approach to evaluate the phase segregation between donor and acceptor phases across the grooves of a laser-induced periodic surface nanostructure on a paradigmatic poly(3-hexylthiophene)/fullerene bulk heterojunction. By taking advantage of the use of polarized soft x...

In pulsed laser deposition, the laser irradiation wavelength and the substrate nature and temperature crucially affect the composition, crystallinity, structure and magnetic properties of the grown deposits. In this work, cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) thin films were deposited on Si (1 0 0) and SrTiO3 (1 0 0) single crystal substrates at room temperatur...

In this work we report a broad scenario for the patterning of semiconducting polymers by laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). Based on the LIPSS formation in the semicrystalline poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), we have extended the LIPSS fabrication to an essentially amorphous semiconducting polymer like poly[N-90-heptadecanyl-2,7-carba...

We report on the formation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures in poly (ethylene terephthalate) and poly (ethylene terephthalate)/Expanded Graphite films by laser irradiation with nanosecond pulses at 266 nm. The characterization studies show that the quality of the ripples depends strongly on the irradiation time and fluence and the optim...

Laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are formed on poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and its composites with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and with both SWCNT and expanded graphite (EG) upon irradiation with a Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser (266 nm, 8 ns). The morphology of the polymer films was characterized by atomic force microscop...

Bismuth (Bi) has appealed during years a broad community of scientists due to its peculiar electronic, optical and more recently plasmonic and photocatalytic properties, which enable both the understanding of basic science phenomena and the development of a wide range of applications. In spite of this interest a comprehensive spectral analysis of t...

Nanomechanical properties of alginate/chitosan (Alg/Chi) multilayer films, obtained through spray assisted layer-by-layer assembly, were studied by means of PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping atomic force microscopy (PF-QNM) AFM. Prepared at two different alginate concentrations (1.0 and 2.5 mg/mL) and a fixed chitosan concentration (1.0...

We describe the conditions for optimal formation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) over poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) spin-coated films. Optimal LIPSS on P3HT are observed within a particular range of thicknesses and laser fluences. These conditions can be translated to the photovoltaic blend formed by the 1:1 mixture of P3HT and...

Suspensions of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PBAC) nanoparticles of varying size and shape have been produced by ablation of a PBAC target in liquid media with the fourth harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 266 nm, full width at half maximum 4 ns, repetition rate 10 Hz). The polymer target was placed at the bottom of a rotating glass v...

Here we focus on the influence of both, substrate and film thickness on polymer Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) formation in polymer films. For this aim a morphological description of ripples structures generated on spin-coated polystyrene (PS) films by a linearly polarized laser beam with a wavelength of 266 nm is presented. The...

We studied the effect of laser fluence on the morphology, composition, structure and electric conductivity of deposits generated by pulsed laser ablation of a metallic aluminium target in vacuum using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 15 ns). Upon irradiation for one hour at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, a smooth layer of several tens of nanometres...

The conduction mechanism and the molecular dynamics on the paradigmatic bulk heterojunction formed by poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) blends have been characterized by dielectric spectroscopy. The results show that hexyl lateral chains of the polymer exhibit a high frequency local motion, similar to a...

Femtosecond lasers, used as tools to investigate the ablation dynamics of solids, can help to develop strategies to control the deposition of nanomaterials by pulsed laser ablation. In this work, Co/ZnS targets, potential candidates for the synthesis of diluted magnetic semiconductor materials, are irradiated by sequences of two femtosecond laser p...

The generation of nanostructured polymer films has been a challenge during the last decades. Surface nanostructuring based on the imprinting of nanoscale patterns on a homogeneous surface or on the deposition of nanostructures on the surface serves advantageously for nanofabrication of functional polymer materials. Advanced nanolithography typicall...

Polymer ferroelectric laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) have been prepared on ferroelectric thin films of a poly(vinylidene fluoride- trifluoro ethylene) copolymer. Although not absorbing light at the laser wavelength, LIPSS on the copolymer can be obtained by forming a bilayer with other light absorbing polymer. The ferroelectric n...

The fabrication of highly sensitive and reproducible substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) remains a challenging scientific and technological issue. In this work, laser-induced periodic surface structures are generated on poly(trimethylen terephthalate) films upon laser irradiation with the linearly polarized beams of a Nd:YAG las...

In this work, we report on the surface patterning of semiconducting poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films by means of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). Two different laser wavelengths, 266 and 532 nm, and a broad range of fluences and number of pulses have been used in order to optimize the LIPSS morphology. Ripples period and d...

The formation of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) on model spin-coated polymer films has been followed in situ by Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering (GISAXS) using synchrotron radiation. The samples were irradiated at different repetition rates ranging from 1 up to 10 Hz by using the 4th harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (266...

In this work we present an accurate mapping of the structural order of Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) in spin-coated thin polymer films, via a microfocus beam Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (µGISAXS) scan, GISAXS modelling and Atomic Force Microscopy imaging all along the scanned area. This combined study has allo...

This work reports on the formation of different types of structures on the surface of polymer films upon UV laser irradiation. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) was irradiated with nanosecond UV pulses at 193 and 266 nm. The polarization of the laser beam and the irradiation angle of incidence were varied, giving rise to laser induced surface structures...

Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) can be used to characterize the replica quality of polymer gratings prepared by thermal nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Here it is shown using GISAXS experiments that a series of NIL polymer gratings with different line quality present characteristic features that can be associated with the lev...

Laser based techniques constitute an advantageous versatile approach for the assembly and control at nanometer scale of polymers and biopolymers, fundamental components of soft matter. In this chapter, laser nanostructuring of thin films of these materials will be illustrated by studies on laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and on la...

We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO3: Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane <100> film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of t...

In this work we report on fabrication of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on different semiconductors with bandgap energies in the range of 1.3–3.3 eV and melting temperatures from 1100 to 2700 °C. In particular, InP, GaAs, GaP and SiC were irradiated in air with nanosecond pulses using a linearly polarized laser beam at 266 nm (6...

We examine the magnetic easy-axis directions of stoichiometric magnetite films grown on SrTiO3:Nb by infrared pulsed-laser deposition. Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy reveals that the individual magnetic domains are magnetized along the in-plane <100> film directions. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that the maxima of th...

In this work we present the formation of laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on spin-coated thin films of several model aromatic polymers including poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and poly carbonate bis-phenol A upon irradiation with femtosecond pulses of 795 and 265 nm at fluences well below the ablatio...

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has recently emerged as a useful technique to deposit films of multi-component oxide materials. The present work is focused on the structural and magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) thin films deposited on single crystal substrates of SrTiO3 (100), SrTiO3:Nb (100), MgO (100), Al2O3 (0001), MgAl2O4 (100) and Si (10...

In this work, we describe the gold-coating of silicon microcantilever sensors by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and their performance as DNA biosensors. To test optimum deposition conditions for coating the sensors, silicon substrates were gold coated by PLD using the fifth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (213 nm, pulse duration 15 ns). The gold deposits...

We report on the fabrication of gold coated nanostructured polymer thin films and on their characterization as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were obtained on thin polymer films of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) upon laser irradiation with the fourth harmonic of a...

In this study, the reaction of widely used artist's pigments in raw form to pulsed laser radiation of different wavelengths and pulse duration was investigated. Vermilion, lead chromate and malachite (in the form of pellets) were irradiated using laser pulses of 500fs at 248nm, and pulses of 150ps and 15ns at 1064 and 213nm. Optical microscopy, col...

Grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS) has been used to structurally characterize model hard and soft gratings of nanotechnological interest. The different gratings exhibit GISAXS patterns with characteristic features that can be associated with their level of order along the direction of periodicity and the length of the lines. Hi...

Ultraviolet laser irradiation using pulses with duration from the nanosecond to the femtosecond range was investigated aiming at the generation of a foam layer on films of the biopolymers chitosan, starch and their blend. We report on the morphological characteristics of the foams obtained upon irradiation and on the accompanying laser induced phot...

Polymer nanostructures and nanopatterns are being profusely used for developing next-generation organic devices with analytical and biological functions and photonic applications. Laser based strategies constitute an advantageous approach for the assembly and control of this type of soft matter nanostructures as they afford the sought versatility a...

Here we present a precise morphological description of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) nanofabricated on spin-coated poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) films by irradiation with 266 nm, 6 ns laser pulses and by using a broad range of fluences and number of pulses. By accomplishing real and reciprocal space measurements by mean...

We report here on a systematic study about the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on biopolymers. Self-standing films of the biopolymers chitosan, starch and the blend of chitosan with the synthetic polymer poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), PVP, were irradiated in air with linearly polarized laser beams at 193, 213 and 266 nm, w...

This work demonstrates the formation of femtosecond laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) by multipulse irradiation with the fundamental and 3rd harmonic of a linearly polarized Ti:sapphire laser (795 and 265 nm) on thin films of the polymers poly (ethylene terephthalate), poly (trimethylene terephthalate), and poly (carbonate bisphenol...

Nanostructured CdS and ZnS films on Si (100) substrates were obtained by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition at the wavelengths of 266 and 532 nm. The effect of laser irradiation wavelength on the surface structure and crystallinity of deposits was characterized, together with the composition, expansion dynamics and thermodynamic parameters of the a...

In this work we evaluate the potential of grazing incidence X-ray scattering techniques in the investigation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) in a series of strongly absorbing model spin-coated polymer films which are amorphous, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), and poly(carbonate bisphenol...

Polymer meshes have recently attracted great attention due to their great variety of applications in fields such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. Poly(e�-caprolactone) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning giving rise to porous meshes. However, for some applications in tissue engineering where, for instance, cell migration into the inne...

In the middle of last century, many valuable monuments of the Galician cultural heritage showed disintegration of the granite in the outdoor walls due to chemical erosion. To repair and conserve the stone from further deterioration, restorers decided to apply protective coatings that might act as consolidants and as hydrofugants. It is important to...

Beeswax coatings applied to seal off the granitic surfaces of many monuments have resulted in detrimental effects with time passing. Conservation procedures must be carried out in a selective way, removing the beeswax without any degradation of the stone. In this study we present an experimental analysis of the removal of beeswax using a Nd:YAG las...

Melt blends of chitosan and biodegradable aliphatic polyester have been physically and biologically studied, presenting great potential for biomedical applications. Structurally, poly(butylene succinate)-chitosan (PBS/Cht) composite scaffolds are covered by a thin PBS layer, preventing the desired interaction of cells/tissues with the chitosan part...

In the middle of last century, many valuable monuments of the Galician cultural heritage showed disintegration of the granite in the outdoor walls due to chemical erosion. To repair and conserve the stone from further deterioration, restorers decided to apply protective coatings that might act as consolidants and as hydrofugants. It is important to...

Following previous studies on the influence of the polymer molecular weight (MW) on the ablation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at 248 nm, this work extends the examination to the ablation of polystyrene (PS) at 248 nm. The ablation threshold and the etching rates are found to be nearly independent of MW. Optical microscopy demonstrates an exc...

Biomaterial surface chemistry and nanoscale topography are important for many potential applications in medicine and biotechnology as they strongly influence cell function, adhesion and proliferation. In this work, we present periodic surface structures generated by linearly polarized KrF laser light (248 nm) on polystyrene (PS) foils. These struct...

In this work we present periodic surface structures generated by linearly polarized F2 laser light (157 nm) on polyethyleneterephthalate (PET). Atomic force microscopy was used to study the topological changes induced by the laser irradiation. The laser irradiation induces the formation of periodic ripple structures with a width of ca 130 nm and a...