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Title: Thin film confinement reduces compatibility in symmetric ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends

Abstract

ABSTRACT The thin film phase behavior of ternary blends consisting of symmetric poly(styrene) (PS)‐ b ‐poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), PS, and PDMS was investigated using X‐ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This system is strongly segregated, and the homopolymers are approximately the same length as the corresponding blocks of the copolymer. The XRR and AFM data are used to quantify changes in domain spacing ( L ) and morphology evolution with increasing homopolymer content (Φ H ). In 100 nm thick films, from Φ H = 0 to 0.20, the system maintains a perfect parallel lamellar structure and domains swell as predicted based on theory; however, from Φ H = 0.30 to 0.50, a morphology transition to a “dot pattern” morphology (tentatively identified as perforated lamellae) and mixed morphologies were observed before macrophase separation. In thicker films, dot patterns were observed for a broad range of Φ H before macrophase separation. The absence of the bicontinuous microemulsion phase reported for bulk blends and thin films of perpendicular lamellae and the presence of dot patterns/perforated lamellae are attributed to preferential migration of the PDMS homopolymer to the wetting layers located at the substrate andmore » free air interfaces, which leads to an asymmetric composition within the film and morphology transition. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56 , 1443–1451« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA (United States)
  2. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1490075
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1472190
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357; DE‐AC02‐06CH11357
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Polymer Science. Part B, Polymer Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 56; Journal Issue: 21; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-6266
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; block copolymer blend; domain spacing; perforated lamellae; thin film morphology

Citation Formats

Uddin, Md Fakar, Jiang, Zhang, Raymond, Andrew, Goodson, Amy D., Lwoya, Baraka S., and Albert, Julie N. L. Thin film confinement reduces compatibility in symmetric ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1002/polb.24732.
Uddin, Md Fakar, Jiang, Zhang, Raymond, Andrew, Goodson, Amy D., Lwoya, Baraka S., & Albert, Julie N. L. Thin film confinement reduces compatibility in symmetric ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.24732
Uddin, Md Fakar, Jiang, Zhang, Raymond, Andrew, Goodson, Amy D., Lwoya, Baraka S., and Albert, Julie N. L. Sun . "Thin film confinement reduces compatibility in symmetric ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.24732. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1490075.
@article{osti_1490075,
title = {Thin film confinement reduces compatibility in symmetric ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends},
author = {Uddin, Md Fakar and Jiang, Zhang and Raymond, Andrew and Goodson, Amy D. and Lwoya, Baraka S. and Albert, Julie N. L.},
abstractNote = {ABSTRACT The thin film phase behavior of ternary blends consisting of symmetric poly(styrene) (PS)‐ b ‐poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), PS, and PDMS was investigated using X‐ray reflectivity (XRR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This system is strongly segregated, and the homopolymers are approximately the same length as the corresponding blocks of the copolymer. The XRR and AFM data are used to quantify changes in domain spacing ( L ) and morphology evolution with increasing homopolymer content (Φ H ). In 100 nm thick films, from Φ H = 0 to 0.20, the system maintains a perfect parallel lamellar structure and domains swell as predicted based on theory; however, from Φ H = 0.30 to 0.50, a morphology transition to a “dot pattern” morphology (tentatively identified as perforated lamellae) and mixed morphologies were observed before macrophase separation. In thicker films, dot patterns were observed for a broad range of Φ H before macrophase separation. The absence of the bicontinuous microemulsion phase reported for bulk blends and thin films of perpendicular lamellae and the presence of dot patterns/perforated lamellae are attributed to preferential migration of the PDMS homopolymer to the wetting layers located at the substrate and free air interfaces, which leads to an asymmetric composition within the film and morphology transition. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56 , 1443–1451},
doi = {10.1002/polb.24732},
journal = {Journal of Polymer Science. Part B, Polymer Physics},
number = 21,
volume = 56,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Sun Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 4 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: X-ray reflectivity (XRR) profiles as a function of $Q$$Z$ (nm -1 ), through-film scattering length density (SLD) profiles used to calculate the reflectivity profile, and AFM height images(scale bar = 10 $μ$m and height color scale = 100 nm) of representative PS-b-PDMS and ternary blend films. On themore » XRR profiles, the open colored circles represent the measured data points and solid lines represent the calculated reflectivity profile. Three morphological regimes are noted: (a) from $Փ$$H$ = 0 to 0.20 (red box), parallel lamellae; (b) from $Փ$$H$ = 0.30 to 0.50 (blue box), morphology transition; (c) from $Փ$$H$ =0.60 to 0.80 (green box), macrophase separated.« less

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Nanostructure stability and swelling of ternary block copolymer/homopolymer blends: A direct comparison between dissipative particle dynamics and experiment
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