Novel network morphologies and compositionally robust 3-colored perforated lamellar phase in A(BC)2 mikto-arm star copolymer melts

Abstract

Dissipative particle dynamics simulations are used to investigate the self-assembly of A(BC)₂ 3-mikto-arm star copolymers. The simulations predict a range of structures obtained by varying the volume fractions of the 3 components. Most notably the simulations show that a 3-colored perforated lamellar phase recently identified experimentally where the C and B components perforate lamellae of A is stable over a wide range of compositions. Further, the possibility of forming two other completely novel morphologies in this system is highlighted, one consisting of spheres of the A component and a 3-connected gyroid-like network of the C component embedded in a matrix of B and the other consisting of a single core-shell 3-connected gyroid-like network of A wrapped with B and embedded in a matrix of C. If realized experimentally, these networks potentially represent chiral structures built from achiral molecules as well as a single network analogue of an ordinary bicontinuous structure.