Issue 18, 2024

Critical role of lattice vacancies in pressure-induced phase transitions of baroplastic diblock copolymers

Abstract

Baroplastic diblock copolymers exhibit order–disorder transitions and melt upon compression at low temperatures, in some cases even at ambient temperatures. Their unique low-temperature processability makes them promising candidates for sustainable polymeric materials. Despite their potential, however, the molecular mechanisms governing the pressure-induced phase transitions of these copolymers remain largely unexplored. This study develops a compressible self-consistent field theory for baroplastic copolymers based on a simple lattice vacancy model that explicitly incorporates voids to account for compressibility. The theory shows that the selective presence of voids in compressible domains stabilizes the ordered phase, while a reduction of voids under compression leads to the order–disorder transition. In addition, this work demonstrates for the first time the critical role of gas absorption rates in each segment in the pressure-induced order–disorder transition of baroplastic diblock copolymers. These findings have significant implications for the rational design of baroplastic polymers with tailored low-temperature processability.

Graphical abstract: Critical role of lattice vacancies in pressure-induced phase transitions of baroplastic diblock copolymers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
22 Jan 2024
Accepted
17 Mar 2024
First published
19 Mar 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Soft Matter, 2024,20, 3728-3731

Critical role of lattice vacancies in pressure-induced phase transitions of baroplastic diblock copolymers

H. Degaki, I. Taniguchi, S. Deguchi and T. Koga, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 3728 DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00098F

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