Course abstract

The fabrication of large area polymer structures with feature sizes ranging from few microns down to the molecular level is key to various technologically important areas, examples of which include molecular electronics, flexible display screens, optical sensors, structural colour, reusable super adhesives, super hydrophobic and self-cleaning surfaces, scaffolds for tissue engineering etc. The meso scale, which ranges from a few nm to few microns, interfaces the molecular and the macroscopic worlds. Thus, it becomes possible to observe simultaneous signatures of molecular interactions as well as macroscopic effects at these length scales, often giving rise to exciting new phenomena. The success of the desired applications, harvesting the extraordinary scientific phenomena occurring at these length scales, depends strongly on the availability of suitable, easy to implement patterning techniques that can create defect-free structures over large areas followed by their accurate characterization.