Binary Blends of Diblock Copolymers: An Efficient Route to Complex Spherical Packing Phases

The phase behavior of binary blends composed A 1 B and 2 diblock copolymers is systematically studied using the polymeric self-consistent field theory, focusing on formation relative stability various spherical packing phases. results are summarized in a set diagrams covering large space system. Besides commonly observed body-centered-cubic phase, complex phases including Frank–Kasper A15, ? Laves C14, C15 could be stabilized by addition longer -copolymers to asymmetric -copolymers. Stabilizing requires that added have A-block an overall chain length at least comparable host copolymer chains. detailed analysis block distributions reveals existence inter- intra-domain segregation different copolymers, which depends sensitively ratio composition. predicted behaviours /A good agreement with previous experimental theoretical results. study demonstrates provide efficient route regulate emergence