Phase behavior of low-functionality, telechelic star block copolymers

Abstract

We apply state-of-the-art, Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations to determine the self-organization and phase behavior of solutions of block copolymer stars. The latter consist of f AB-block copolymers with N monomers each, which contain a solvophilic block A and solvophobic block B, and which are tethered on a common center on their A-side. We vary the degree of polymerization N and the relative composition of the block copolymer arms and investigate the interplay between macrophase and microphase separation in the system. Preliminary results of the effect of increasing the number of arms, f of the stars are also presented.