Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly
and crystallization
determine
their fundamental mechanical, optical, and transport properties. Multiple
physical and chemical routes to control BCP self-assembly have been
developed over the years. In contrast, modulating the crystallization
behavior, particularly crystallite size and orientation, has received
considerably less attention. This paper underpins that 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) phospholipid additives
enable precise control of BCP crystallization via a combination of
interfacial and confinement effects. The assembly and crystallization
behavior of methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)
(mPEG-b-PCL) hybridized with DPPC was elucidated
in solid-supported dry-film forms. mPEG-b-PCL/DPPC
hybrid films coassemble into multilamellar structures with BCP and
lipid domains stacked in registry across the film thickness. With
small amounts of DPPC (3 wt %), mPEG-b-PCL/DPPC hybrid
films unexpectedly exhibit nonadditive thermal conductivity, reaching
∼0.1 W m–1 K–1, a value
considerably lower than pure BCP or DPPC films. Hybridization alters
DPPC chain packing and induces specific PCL crystallite orientation
at the nanoscale. PCL chains on the folding plane of an orthorhombic
lattice optimize molecular interactions with vertically aligned DPPC
alkyl chains by orienting PCL crystallites at a 20° tilt. These
results enable new applications of polymeric systems in which switchable
crystallization routes are used to tune heat transport.