ELEMENTARY APPROACH TO SELF-ASSEMBLY AND ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF RANDOM COPOLYMERS
The authors have mapped the physics of a system of random copolymers onto a time-dependent density functional-type field theory using techniques of functional integration. Time in the theory is merely a label for the location of a given monomer along the extent of a flexible chain. We derive heuristically within this approach a non-local constraint which prevents segments on chains in the system from straying too far from each other, and leads to self-assembly. The structure factor is then computed in a straightforward fashion. The long wave-length limit of the structure factor is used to obtain the elastic modulus of the network. It is shown that there is a surprising competition between the degree of micro-phase separation and the elastic moduli of the system.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 765584
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-00-5003; TRN: AH200105%%4
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference title not supplied, Conference location not supplied, Conference dates not supplied; Other Information: PBD: 1 Oct 2000
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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