Development of Interfacial Nanoassembly Techniques in Functional Nanomaterials

The precise integration of functional materials, such as organic–inorganic hybrid building blocks or π-conjugated units, is a key issue in the development of bio- and nanoelectronic devices. This focus review highlights the author’s recent study of the nanoscale assembly of polymer materials based on the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique, which allows high-density integration of functional units. (1) The nanoassembly of silsesquioxane-containing polymers can be used to produce uniform monolayers, which are precursors of ultrathin SiO₂ films with controlled porosity. The SiO₂ films were used as resistive switching devices with low set/reset voltages. (2) The nanoassembly of inorganic nanoparticles and metal-organic framework films on polymer films demonstrates the importance of the spatial alignment of anchoring units in the polymer films depending on adsorption mechanisms. (3) The nanoassembly of π-conjugated units can be used for high-density and low-dimensional assembly, using newly proposed amphiphilic homopolymers with π-conjugated units in the side chains. These examples demonstrate the potential of LB-based fabrication as a candidate strategy for functional device fabrication.