Unique Phase Behavior of Inverse Tapered Block Copolymers: Self-Consistent Field Theory and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
- The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). William G. Lowrie Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Tech-X Corp., Boulder, CO (United States)
Using theory and simulation, we study the microphase separated structures of inverse tapered block copolymers. These are AB block copolymers with a gradient region inserted between the pure A and B blocks that smoothly changes in composition from B to A, with the B-side of the taper bonded to the pure A block. Tapering is a means to increase miscibility between polymer blocks, and by controlling the length of the taper, the phase behavior and domain spacing can be adjusted. As opposed to better known ABAB tetrablock copolymers that also have four alternating A-rich and B-rich regions, here the intermediate region has a partially mixed composition, promoting relatively diblock-like behavior for shorter inverse tapers or low segregation strength but unique behavior as a function of increasing segregation strength for some systems. In particular, for systems in which 50% of the backbone is the taper, the larger of the two pure end blocks - composed of the overall majority component - can phase separate analogously to the minority component of a diblock copolymer, creating cylinder and network phases in which the majority component’s pure block is the minority phase in a matrix of a relatively disordered mixture of the tapered region and the minority component’s pure block.
- Research Organization:
- The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0014458; SC0014209
- OSTI ID:
- 1468587
- Journal Information:
- Macromolecules, Vol. 50, Issue 14; ISSN 0024-9297
- Publisher:
- American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Asymmetric Copolymers: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Gradient and Other Partially Segregated Copolymers
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journal | September 2018 |
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