Lattice self-consistent field calculations of confined symmetric block copolymers of various chain architectures. Issue 17 (21st April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Jingxue; Wu, Jiaping; Jiang, Run; Wang, Zheng; Yin, Yuhua; Li, Baohui; Wang, Qiang
• Is Part Of: Soft matter. Volume 16:Issue 17(2020)
• Page Start: 4311
• Page End: 4323
• Publication Date: 2020-04-21
• Subjects: Soft condensed matter -- Periodicals; 530.413
• DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00293c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-683X

Abstract

Abstract : The effects of chain architecture on the structural details and orientation of confined lamellae formed by symmetric AB-type block copolymer melts are studied. Abstract : The effects of chain architecture and confinement on the structure and orientation of lamellae formed by incompressible and symmetric AB-type block copolymer melts confined between two parallel and identical surfaces are investigated using self-consistent field calculations on a simple cubic lattice. Five systems of various chain architectures (linear, ring, and star) and lengths are studied, with their bulk lamellar period L 0 chosen such that they have comparable L 0 / R g, where R g denotes the ideal-chain radius of gyration. For thin films of thickness D = L 0 confined between two neutral surfaces, we define the rescaled volume fraction profiles of A, B, chain end, and joint segments in the parallel and perpendicular lamellae such that these profiles can be directly compared among the five systems to quantitatively reveal the interplay between the chain-end enrichment near confining surfaces and the surface-induced A–B compatibilization, and how such interplay is affected by the chain architectures (for example, the chain-crowding effects in the star block copolymers). The effects of D and surface preference for one of the blocks are also investigated.