“Uncontrolled” Preparation of Disperse Poly(lactide)- block -poly(styrene)- block -poly(lactide) for Nanopatterning Applications
We report the facile synthesis of well-defined ABA poly(lactide)-block-poly(styrene)-block-poly(lactide) (LSL) triblock copolymers having a disperse poly(styrene) midblock (Ð = 1.27–2.24). The direct synthesis of telechelic α,ω-hydroxypoly(styrene) (HO-PS-OH) midblocks was achieved using a commercially available difunctional free radical diazo initiator 2,2'-azobis[2-methyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)propionamide]. Poly(lactide) (PLA) end blocks were subsequently grown from HO-PS-OH macroinitiators via ring-opening transesterification polymerization of (±)-lactide using the most common and prevalent catalyst system available, tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate. Fourteen LSL triblock copolymers with total molar masses Mn,total = 24–181 kg/mol and PLA volume fractions fPLA = 0.15–0.68 were synthesized and thoroughly characterized. The self-assembly of symmetric triblocks was analyzed in the bulk using small-angle X-ray scattering and in thin films using grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy. We demonstrate both the bulk and thin film self-assembly of LSL disperse triblocks gave well-organized nanostructures with uniform domain sizes suitable for nanopatterning applications.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI ID:
- 1351389
- Journal Information:
- Macromolecules, Vol. 49, Issue 21; ISSN 0024-9297
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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