Single-molecule tracking (SMT) was used to probe the
alignment
of cylindrical microdomains in polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide)
diblock copolymer (PS-b-PEO) films induced by directional
solvent penetration. PS-b-PEO films were supported
between two glass plates. Aligned PEO domains were obtained upon horizontal
penetration of 1,4-dioxane vapor through the films, while no observable
alignment occurred when benzene or toluene was used. Domain alignment
was assessed by SMT, using a dye that partitions into PEO. More than
70% of the dye molecules exhibited one-dimensional (1D) diffusion
along the dioxane penetration direction. Quantitative assessment of
1D trajectory alignment yielded an order parameter of ca. 0.9. A high
degree of domain order was observed across millimeter distances throughout
the 4 μm thick films. PEO domain size (ca. 11 nm radius) was
determined from the probe positioning error. These results demonstrate
the utility of SMT methods for characterization of nanoscale domains
in cylinder-forming block copolymer films.
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