Method of forming polymer nanofiber metal-nanoparticle composite pattern

1. A method of forming a polymer nanofiber-metal nanoparticle composite pattern, the method comprising:

forming on a substrate a polymer nanofiber layer comprising polymer nanofibers made from polymers comprising a heteroaryl group;

selectively exposing to UV-ozone a part of the polymer nanofiber layer through an aperture of a mask;

selectively removing a part of the polymer nanofiber layer which was not exposed to UV-ozone from the polymer nanofiber layer to form a polymer nanofiber layer pattern;

depositing a metal precursor on the polymer nanofiber layer pattern; and

reducing the metal precursor into a metal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heteroaryl group contains a nitrogen atom.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymers comprising the heteroaryl group comprise poly(4-vinylpyridine), poly(2-vinylpyridine), poly(4-vinylpyridinium) salt, poly(2-vinylpyridinium) salt, poly(4-vinyl-2-methylpyridine), or poly(2-vinyl-4-methylpyridine).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer nanofibers are an elastomeric polymer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer nanofiber layer is formed by electrospinning, wet spinning, melt spinning, or solvent spinning.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the polymer nanofiber is in a range of about 1 nm to about 1 μm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the polymer nanofiber layer is in a range of from about 10 μm to about 100 μm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the part of the polymer nanofiber layer that is exposed to the UV-ozone becomes oxidized by the UV-ozone and comprises a carbonyl group.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectively removing the part of the polymer nanofiber layer which was not exposed to UV-ozone from the polymer nanofiber layer comprises selectively dissolving the part of the polymer nanofiber layer which was not exposed to UV-ozone in a solvent.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises an alcohol.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the metal precursor on the polymer nanofiber layer pattern comprises:

forming a metal precursor solution by dissolving the metal precursor in a solvent; and

immersing the polymer nanofiber layer pattern in the metal precursor solution.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the metal precursor on the polymer nanofiber layer pattern comprises:

forming a metal precursor solution by dissolving the metal precursor in a solvent; and

coating the metal precursor solution on the polymer nanofiber layer pattern.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal precursor comprises AgNO 3 , AgCl, HAuCl 4 , CuCl 2 , PtCl 2 , PtCl 4 or PdCl 2 .

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal precursor forms a complex ion with a polymer in the polymer nanofiber layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the metal precursor binds to a nitrogen atom in the polymer.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the metal precursor into a metal is performed by using a reducing agent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the reducing agent comprises hydrazine, hydrazine hydrate, sodium borohydride, formic acid, oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, or lithium aluminum hydride.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reducing the metal precursor into a metal comprises exposing the polymer nanofiber to a hydrazine gas.

19. The method of claim 1 , further including a heat treatment after depositing the metal precursor on the polymer nanofiber layer pattern and reducing the metal precursor into a metal.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat treatment is performed between about 100° C. and about 140° C.