Electric Field Induced Selective Disordering in Lamellar Block Copolymers

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2013 · ACS Nano

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/nn3059604· OSTI ID:1088154

Ruppel, Markus A ^[1]; Pester, Christian W ^[1]; Langner, Karol M ^[2]; Sevink, Geert ^[2]; Schoberth, Heiko ^[3]; Schmidt, Kristin ^[1]; Urban, Volker S ^[1]; Mays, Jimmy ^[1]; Boker, Alexander ^[4]

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1. ORNL
2. Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
3. University of Bayreuth
4. RWTH Aachen University

External electric fields align nanostructured block copolymers by either rotation of grains or nucleation and growth depending on how strongly the chemically distinct block copolymer components are segregated. In close vicinity to the orderdisorder transition, theory and simulations suggest a third mechanism: selective disordering. We present a time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering study that demonstrates how an electric field can indeed selectively disintegrate ill-aligned lamellae in a lyotropic block copolymer solution, while lamellae with interfaces oriented parallel to the applied field prevail. The present study adds an additional mechanism to the experimentally corroborated suite of mechanistic pathways, by which nanostructured block copolymers can align with an electric field. Our results further unveil the benefit of electric field assisted annealing for mitigating orientational disorder and topological defects in block copolymer mesophases, both in close vicinity to the orderdisorder transition and well below it.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1088154
• Journal Information: ACS Nano, Journal Name: ACS Nano Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 7; ISSN 1936-0851
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English