Fabrication and characterization of nanopatterned poly(ethylene oxide) thin films prepared from precursors formed in solution

► A PEO-striped nanopattern can be prepared by spin-coating a precursor solution. ► The crystallized PEO precursors are prepared by using toluene as the poor solvent. ► The nanopattern can be controlled by varying PEO concentration and spin speed. ► PEO stripes lie inside distorted hexagonal shapes formed by grain boundaries. ► A silicon oxide stripe pattern was fabricated by using a PEO film as a template.