A decade of innovation and progress in understanding the morphology and structure of heterogeneous polymers in rigid confinement

Abstract

When confined in nanoscale domains, polymers generally encounter changes in their structural, thermodynamics and dynamics properties compared to those in the bulk, due to the high amount of polymer/wall interfaces and limited amount of matter. The present review specifically deals with the confinement of heterogeneous polymers (i.e. polymer blends and block copolymers) in rigid nanoscale domains (i.e. bearing non-deformable solid walls) where the processes of phase separation and self-assembly can be deeply affected. This review focuses on the innovative contributions of the last decade (2010–2020), giving a summary of the new insights and understanding gained in this period. We conclude this review by giving our view on the most thriving directions for this topic.