The tricontinuous 3ths(5) phase: A new network morphology in copolymer melts

TY - JOUR

T1 - The tricontinuous 3ths(5) phase

T2 - A new network morphology in copolymer melts

AU - Fischer, M.G.

AU - de Campo, L.

AU - Kirkensgaard, Jacob Judas Kain

AU - Hyde, Stephen Timothy

AU - Schroder-Turk, G.E.

PY - 2014/11/11

Y1 - 2014/11/11

N2 - Self-assembly remains the most efficient route to the formation of ordered nanostructures, including the double gyroid network phase in diblock copolymers based on two intergrown network domains. Here we use self-consistent field theory to show that a tricontinuous structure with monoclinic symmetry, called 3ths(5), based on the intergrowth of three distorted ths nets, is an equilibrium phase of triblock star-copolymer melts when an extended molecular core is introduced. The introduction of the core enhances the role of chain stretching by enforcing larger structural length scales, thus destabilizing the hexagonal columnar phase in favor of morphologies with less packing frustration. This study further demonstrates that the introduction of molecular cores is a general concept for tuning the relative importance of entropic and enthalpic free energy contributions, hence providing a tool to stabilize an extended repertoire of self-assembled nanostructured materials.

AB - Self-assembly remains the most efficient route to the formation of ordered nanostructures, including the double gyroid network phase in diblock copolymers based on two intergrown network domains. Here we use self-consistent field theory to show that a tricontinuous structure with monoclinic symmetry, called 3ths(5), based on the intergrowth of three distorted ths nets, is an equilibrium phase of triblock star-copolymer melts when an extended molecular core is introduced. The introduction of the core enhances the role of chain stretching by enforcing larger structural length scales, thus destabilizing the hexagonal columnar phase in favor of morphologies with less packing frustration. This study further demonstrates that the introduction of molecular cores is a general concept for tuning the relative importance of entropic and enthalpic free energy contributions, hence providing a tool to stabilize an extended repertoire of self-assembled nanostructured materials.

U2 - 10.1021/ma5016352

DO - 10.1021/ma5016352

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0024-9297

VL - 47

SP - 7424

EP - 7430

JO - Macromolecules

JF - Macromolecules

IS - 21

ER -