Issue 1, 2013

Non-lamellae structures of coil–semiflexible diblock copolymers

Abstract

We investigate the self-assembly of coil–semiflexible block copolymers in 2D positional space by using self-consistent field theory (SCFT) based on the wormlike chain model for the semiflexible block and the Gaussian chain model for the coil block. A highly accurate and efficient operator splitting pseudospectral algorithm is adopted to cope with the computational intricacy of solving modified diffusion equations for the propagators of wormlike chains. Within the framework of anisotropic Maier–Saupe orientational interactions and isotropic Flory–Huggins interactions, the phase diagram including isotropic, smectic-C, and further appended non-lamella structures is constructed for the coil–semiflexible block copolymers in the region of coil volume fractions from 0.6 to 0.8. Hexagonal packed pucks and rhombic pucks formed by the semiflexible block with major orientation perpendicular to their nearest neighbors in the latter are discovered at relatively high coil fractions and strong orientational interactions. We also study the influence of chain rigidity on the phase behavior of coil–semiflexible block copolymers.

Graphical abstract: Non-lamellae structures of coil–semiflexible diblock copolymers

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
30 Jul 2012
Accepted
21 Sep 2012
First published
12 Oct 2012

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 69-81

Non-lamellae structures of coil–semiflexible diblock copolymers

J. Gao, P. Tang and Y. Yang, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 69 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM26758F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements