Art in science
The rest of our website shows you the art created by scientists in their spare time, but this page shows some naturally occuring "art" which can be found in science. All these photos have been produced during the course of our member's own research.
Spin cast polymer films - by Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari
These are polymer thin films made by the spin coating method. We dissolve two polymers, here PS (polystyrene) and PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) in a solvent (here toluene or THF or MEK) and then deposit a drop or two of this blend on to a silicon substrate rotating at 2000 rpm (revolutions per minute). A uniform layer is formed within seconds, these photos are the result!
Polymers don't like to mix and they become phase separated, that's why you see different domains in the photos! You can create different patterns by changing the ratio of two polymers or using different solvents or changing many other parameters.
Accidental beauty or silly scientist and beautiful art?
The two beautiful structures below were created accidentally! They are the back of the silicon substrate covered with a polymer solution that has dried, and for a while I didn't realise this was the back of the sample and spent quite a while trying to analyse it!!!!
I don't know what to call them? Accidental beauty? Silly scientist and beautiful art?
