Effect of chain architectures on the domain spacing of block copolymers with equivalent segregation degrees. Issue 32 (3rd August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ji, Xianwen; Li, Weihua
• Is Part Of: Physical chemistry chemical physics. Volume 22:Issue 32(2020)
• Page Start: 17824
• Page End: 17832
• Publication Date: 2020-08-03
• Subjects: Chemistry, Physical and theoretical -- Periodicals; 541.3
• DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02104k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1463-9076

Abstract

Abstract : Effect of chain architectures on the segregation degree of block copolymers. Abstract : It is crucial to lower the domain spacing in the application of directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers. Architectural design of block copolymers provides a possible route. However, the change of the segregation degree is always coupled with that of domain spacing. Therefore, we rescale the segregation degrees of different multiblock copolymers with reference to that of the AB diblock using self-consistent field theory (SCFT), including the [AB] n linear multiblock, A n B n multi-arm star and Ad, n Bd, n dendron-like, such that the density profiles of the lamellar morphology are consistent. Then we compare the lamellar periods of these different copolymers under the condition of equivalent segregation degrees. We find that the star and dendron-like architectures can significantly lower the domain spacing relative to that of the AB diblock, especially when the arm number or the generation number is large. On one hand, our work presents a simple criterion for quantifying the reduction of domain spacing of a specific multiblock architecture relative to that of the AB diblock. On the other hand, our conclusion provides a useful guide for the application of directed self-assembly.