Block Copolymer Nanocomposites in Electric Fields: Kinetics of Alignment

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2013 · ACS Macro Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/mz3005132· OSTI ID:1061573

Liedel, Clemens ^[1]; Pester, Christian ^[1]; Ruppel, Markus A ^[2]; Lewin, Christian ^[1]; Pavan, Mariela J. ^[3]; Urban, Volker S ^[2]; Shenhar, Roy ^[3]; Bosecke, Peter ^[4]; Boker, Alexander ^[1]

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1. RWTH Aachen University
2. ORNL
3. Hebrew University of Jerusalem
4. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)

We investigate the kinetics of block copolymer/nanoparticle composite alignment in an electric field using in situ transmission small-angle X-ray scattering. As a model system, we employ a lamellae forming polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer with different contents of gold nanoparticles in thick films under solvent vapor annealing. While the alignment improves with increasing nanoparticle fraction, the kinetics slows down. This is explained by changes in the degree of phase separation and viscosity. Our findings provide extended insights into the basics of nanocomposite alignment.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1061573
• Journal Information: ACS Macro Letters, Vol. 2, Issue 1; ISSN 2161--1653
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English