Metallic Nanodot Patterns with Unique Symmetries Templated from ABC Triblock Terpolymer Networks.

Nanotemplates derived from the self-assembly of AB-type block copolymers provide an elegant route to achieve well-defined metallic dot arrays, even if the variety of pattern symmetries is restricted due to the limited number of structures offered by microphase separated diblock copolymers. A strategy that relies on the use of complex network structures accessible through the self-assembly of linear ABC-type terpolymers is presented for the formation of metallic nanodots arrays with "outside-the-box" symmetries. Patterned templates formed by the cubic Q and orthorhombic O network structures are used as excellent platforms to build well-ordered gold nanodot arrays with unique p3m1 and p2 symmetries, respectively.