The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films

Ky V. Nguyen; Jan G. Gluschke; A. Bernardus Mostert; Andrew Nelson; Gregory Burwell; Roman W. Lyttleton; Hamish Cavaye; Rebecca J.L. Welbourn; Jakob Seidl; Maxime Lagier; Marta Sanchez Miranda; James D. McGettrick; Trystan Watson; Paul Meredith; Adam P. Micolich

doi:10.1002/aelm.202300199

The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films

Ky V. Nguyen, Jan G. Gluschke, A. Bernardus Mostert, Andrew Nelson, Gregory Burwell, Roman W. Lyttleton, Hamish Cavaye, Rebecca J.L. Welbourn, Jakob Seidl, Maxime Lagier, Marta Sanchez Miranda, James D. McGettrick, Trystan Watson, Paul Meredith, Adam P. Micolich

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of electron-beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion films using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance studies, neutron reflectometry, and impedance spectroscopy is reported. The aim is to further characterize the nanoscale patterned Nafion structures recently used as a key element in novel ion-to-electron transducers by Gluschke et al. To enable this, the electron beam patterning process is developed for large areas, achieving patterning speeds approaching 1 cm² h⁻¹, and patterned areas as large as 7 cm² for the neutron reflectometry studies. It is ultimately shown that electron-beam patterning affects both the water uptake and the ionic conductivity, depending on film thickness. Type-II adsorption isotherm behavior is seen for all films. For thick films (≈230 nm), a strong reduction in water uptake with electron-beam patterning is found. In contrast, for thin films (≈30 nm), electron-beam patterning enhances water uptake. Notably, for either thickness, the reduction in ionic conductivity arising from electron-beam patterning is kept to less than an order of magnitude. Mechanisms are proposed for the observed behavior based on the known complex morphology of Nafion films to motivate future studies of electron-beam processed Nafion.

Original language	English
Article number	2300199
Journal	Advanced Electronic Materials
Volume	9
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202300199
State	Published - Aug 2023
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) under DP170104024 and DP170102552, and the Welsh European Funding Office (European Regional Development Fund) through the Sêr Cymru II Program. P.M. is a Sêr Cymru Research Chair and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland. A.B.M. contribution was under the Sêr Cymru II fellowship and the results incorporated in this work had received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 663830. The work was performed in part using the NSW and Queensland nodes of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) and the Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) within the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre (MWAC) at UNSW. The electron-beam patterning was performed in part at Lund NanoLab at Lund University. The authors acknowledge the provision of beamtime by ANSTO under proposal number P8773. This work was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) under DP170104024 and DP170102552, and the Welsh European Funding Office (European Regional Development Fund) through the Sêr Cymru II Program. P.M. is a Sêr Cymru Research Chair and an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland. A.B.M. contribution was under the Sêr Cymru II fellowship and the results incorporated in this work had received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska‐Curie grant agreement No 663830. The work was performed in part using the NSW and Queensland nodes of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) and the Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) within the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre (MWAC) at UNSW. The electron‐beam patterning was performed in part at Lund NanoLab at Lund University. The authors acknowledge the provision of beamtime by ANSTO under proposal number P8773.

Funders	Funder number
Electron Microscope Unit
Welsh European Funding Office
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation	P8773
H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Australian Research Council	DP170104024, DP170102552
University of Queensland
Lunds Universitet
Horizon 2020	663830
European Regional Development Fund

Keywords

bioelectronics
electron-beam patterning
ionic conductivity
nafion
neuromorphic computing

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1002/aelm.202300199

Cite this

Nguyen, K. V., Gluschke, J. G., Mostert, A. B., Nelson, A., Burwell, G., Lyttleton, R. W., Cavaye, H., Welbourn, R. J. L., Seidl, J., Lagier, M., Miranda, M. S., McGettrick, J. D., Watson, T., Meredith, P., & Micolich, A. P. (2023). The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films. Advanced Electronic Materials, 9(8), Article 2300199. https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202300199

@article{d80e980a633c45cfb849c7ab3001bdf9,

title = "The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films",

abstract = "The effect of electron-beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion films using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance studies, neutron reflectometry, and impedance spectroscopy is reported. The aim is to further characterize the nanoscale patterned Nafion structures recently used as a key element in novel ion-to-electron transducers by Gluschke et al. To enable this, the electron beam patterning process is developed for large areas, achieving patterning speeds approaching 1 cm2 h−1, and patterned areas as large as 7 cm2 for the neutron reflectometry studies. It is ultimately shown that electron-beam patterning affects both the water uptake and the ionic conductivity, depending on film thickness. Type-II adsorption isotherm behavior is seen for all films. For thick films (≈230 nm), a strong reduction in water uptake with electron-beam patterning is found. In contrast, for thin films (≈30 nm), electron-beam patterning enhances water uptake. Notably, for either thickness, the reduction in ionic conductivity arising from electron-beam patterning is kept to less than an order of magnitude. Mechanisms are proposed for the observed behavior based on the known complex morphology of Nafion films to motivate future studies of electron-beam processed Nafion.",

keywords = "bioelectronics, electron-beam patterning, ionic conductivity, nafion, neuromorphic computing",

author = "Nguyen, {Ky V.} and Gluschke, {Jan G.} and Mostert, {A. Bernardus} and Andrew Nelson and Gregory Burwell and Lyttleton, {Roman W.} and Hamish Cavaye and Welbourn, {Rebecca J.L.} and Jakob Seidl and Maxime Lagier and Miranda, {Marta Sanchez} and McGettrick, {James D.} and Trystan Watson and Paul Meredith and Micolich, {Adam P.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Advanced Electronic Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1002/aelm.202300199",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

journal = "Advanced Electronic Materials",

issn = "2199-160X",

publisher = "Wiley Open Access",

number = "8",

}

Nguyen, KV, Gluschke, JG, Mostert, AB, Nelson, A, Burwell, G, Lyttleton, RW, Cavaye, H, Welbourn, RJL, Seidl, J, Lagier, M, Miranda, MS, McGettrick, JD, Watson, T, Meredith, P & Micolich, AP 2023, 'The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films', Advanced Electronic Materials, vol. 9, no. 8, 2300199. https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202300199

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films

AU - Nguyen, Ky V.

AU - Gluschke, Jan G.

AU - Mostert, A. Bernardus

AU - Nelson, Andrew

AU - Burwell, Gregory

AU - Lyttleton, Roman W.

AU - Cavaye, Hamish

AU - Welbourn, Rebecca J.L.

AU - Seidl, Jakob

AU - Lagier, Maxime

AU - Miranda, Marta Sanchez

AU - McGettrick, James D.

AU - Watson, Trystan

AU - Meredith, Paul

AU - Micolich, Adam P.

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

N2 - The effect of electron-beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion films using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance studies, neutron reflectometry, and impedance spectroscopy is reported. The aim is to further characterize the nanoscale patterned Nafion structures recently used as a key element in novel ion-to-electron transducers by Gluschke et al. To enable this, the electron beam patterning process is developed for large areas, achieving patterning speeds approaching 1 cm2 h−1, and patterned areas as large as 7 cm2 for the neutron reflectometry studies. It is ultimately shown that electron-beam patterning affects both the water uptake and the ionic conductivity, depending on film thickness. Type-II adsorption isotherm behavior is seen for all films. For thick films (≈230 nm), a strong reduction in water uptake with electron-beam patterning is found. In contrast, for thin films (≈30 nm), electron-beam patterning enhances water uptake. Notably, for either thickness, the reduction in ionic conductivity arising from electron-beam patterning is kept to less than an order of magnitude. Mechanisms are proposed for the observed behavior based on the known complex morphology of Nafion films to motivate future studies of electron-beam processed Nafion.

AB - The effect of electron-beam patterning on the water uptake and ionic conductivity of Nafion films using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance studies, neutron reflectometry, and impedance spectroscopy is reported. The aim is to further characterize the nanoscale patterned Nafion structures recently used as a key element in novel ion-to-electron transducers by Gluschke et al. To enable this, the electron beam patterning process is developed for large areas, achieving patterning speeds approaching 1 cm2 h−1, and patterned areas as large as 7 cm2 for the neutron reflectometry studies. It is ultimately shown that electron-beam patterning affects both the water uptake and the ionic conductivity, depending on film thickness. Type-II adsorption isotherm behavior is seen for all films. For thick films (≈230 nm), a strong reduction in water uptake with electron-beam patterning is found. In contrast, for thin films (≈30 nm), electron-beam patterning enhances water uptake. Notably, for either thickness, the reduction in ionic conductivity arising from electron-beam patterning is kept to less than an order of magnitude. Mechanisms are proposed for the observed behavior based on the known complex morphology of Nafion films to motivate future studies of electron-beam processed Nafion.

KW - bioelectronics

KW - electron-beam patterning

KW - ionic conductivity

KW - nafion

KW - neuromorphic computing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85161854792&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/aelm.202300199

DO - 10.1002/aelm.202300199

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85161854792

SN - 2199-160X

VL - 9

JO - Advanced Electronic Materials

JF - Advanced Electronic Materials

IS - 8

M1 - 2300199

ER -

The Effect of Direct Electron Beam Patterning on the Water Uptake and Ionic Conductivity of Nafion Thin Films

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this