Orderded structures formed by ABC triblock copolymers in selective solvent: effect of polymer architecture and solvent conditions as predicted by mean-field theory

摘要

The self-assembly of block copolymers can lead to a variety of ordered nanoscale structures that find applications in fields ranging from materials to biology. The introduction of selective solvent or homopolymer into a block copolymer melt can enhance the incompatibility of the copolymer blocks and result in a remarkable structural polymorphism. The self-consistent meanfield theory has been shown very useful in predicting the formation of ordered structures in block copolymer melts and in block copolymer-homopolymer blends. More recently, a mean-field lattice theory has been used to predict composition-temperature phase diagrams for block copolymers consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) in water, a selective solvent for PEO, and in water-organic solvent mixtures.