Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles in ultrathin block copolymer films—an integral geometry study

TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesised by a PS-b-PEO block copolymer templated sol–gel process within a thin polymer film. The resulting nanoparticles proved to be well defined with a surface coverage depending on the sol–gel content during synthesis. Surface force microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy was used in order to investigate the nanoparticles embedded within the thin films with topological as well as chemical sensitivity. The microscopy images were further analysed in terms of their Minkowski functionals F, U and χE. This analysis corroborated the uniform morphology of the nanoparticles and indicated a growth process at multiple height levels beneath the free films surface.