Control of Nanostructure in Mixtures of Block Copolymers:  Curvature Control via Cosurfactant Effects

Chen, Feng; Kondo, Yohei; Hashimoto, Takeji

doi:10.1021/ma070297m

Cited by 39 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The hPS homopolymers also have low dispersity indices (smaller than 1.10). It has been reported and theoretically verified that the introduction of block length dispersity enhances the stability of discrete domains to higher volume fractions . The SCFT model applied here assumed perfectly monodisperse blocks.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Morphology re‐entry in asymmetric PS‐PI‐PS' triblock copolymer and PS homopolymer blends

Shi

Delaney

et al. 2015

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

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Here, we report the morphology variation in a series of PS‐b‐PI‐b‐PS' asymmetric triblock copolymer and PS homopolymer (hPS) blends, where PS' and PS are polystyrene blocks with a molecular weight ratio of approximately 0.11 and PI is poly(isoprene). We find that adding a small amount of hPS results in significant order–order transition (OOT) boundary deflection toward higher PS volume fractions fPS, which is accompanied by morphology re‐entry. For example, the neat triblock copolymer with a PS + PS' volume fraction of fPS = 0.38 exhibits a lamellar microphase; adding a small amount of hPS reverts the morphology into a hexagonal phase with PS cylinders, while further increasing the hPS fraction leads to normal OOTs from PS cylinders to lamellae, to PI cylinders and finally to spheres. The morphology variation reported here is significantly different from that reported in binary blends of diblock or symmetric triblock copolymer with homopolymer. While the domain features of the LAM structure can be correctly reproduced by self‐consistent field theory (SCFT), the observed morphology re‐entry is absent in the theoretical SCFT phase diagram. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 169–179

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Morphology re‐entry in asymmetric PS‐PI‐PS' triblock copolymer and PS homopolymer blends

Shi

Delaney

et al. 2015

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

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“…10,11 Experiments have shown that it is possible to obtain bicontinuous and cocontinuous phases by blending suitable DBCs-typically an asymmetric copolymer and a symmetric copolymer. [12][13][14] It was also shown that blending two symmetric DBCs does not always lead to a lamellar phase, but also to a spongy phase. Hashimoto and co-workers 13, 14 studied a binary blend of asymmetric and symmetric DBCs in detail, and found an unidentified bicontinuous phase in between cylinder and lamellae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A theoretical and simulation study of the self-assembly of a binary blend of diblock copolymers

Padmanabhan

Martínez-Veracoechea

Araque

et al. 2012

The Journal of Chemical Physics

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Pure diblock copolymer melts exhibit a narrow range of conditions at which bicontinuous and cocontinuous phases are stable; such conditions and the morphology of such phases can be tuned by the use of additives. In this work, we have studied a bidisperse system of diblock copolymers using theory and simulation. In particular, we elucidated how a short, lamellar-forming diblock copolymer modifies the phase behavior of a longer, cylinder-forming diblock copolymer. In a narrow range of intermediate compositions, self-consistent field theory predicts the formation of a gyroid phase although particle-based simulations show that three phases compete: the gyroid phase, a disordered cocontinuous phase, and the cylinder phase, all having free energies within error bars of each other. Former experimental studies of a similar system have yielded an unidentified, partially irregular bicontinuous phase, and our simulations suggest that at such conditions the formation of a partially transformed network phase is indeed plausible. Close examination of the spatial distribution of chains reveals that packing frustration (manifested by chain stretching and low density spots) occurs in the majority-block domains of the three competing phases simulated. In all cases, a double interface around the minority-block domains is also detected with the outer one formed by the short chains, and the inner one formed by the longer chains.

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“…2 In that article, they conclude that in these inherently polydisperse blends ''the quality of the organization and the sharpness of the interfaces are not affected by the mixing.'' Since then, there has been much work, both experimental 3 and theoretical, 4 on the phase behavior of binary blends of block copolymers. The upshot of these efforts has been that the binary blends can be treated using ''a one-component approximation'' 4 provided the components in the blend do not differ too much in molecular weight or composition.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Polydisperse block copolymers: Don't throw them away

Hillmyer

2007

J Polym Sci B Polym Phys

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Control of Nanostructure in Mixtures of Block Copolymers: Curvature Control via Cosurfactant Effects

Cited by 39 publications

References 38 publications

Morphology re‐entry in asymmetric PS‐PI‐PS' triblock copolymer and PS homopolymer blends

Morphology re‐entry in asymmetric PS‐PI‐PS' triblock copolymer and PS homopolymer blends

A theoretical and simulation study of the self-assembly of a binary blend of diblock copolymers

Polydisperse block copolymers: Don't throw them away

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