Spherulite formation from microphase-separated lamellae in semi-crystalline diblock copolymer comprising polyethylene and atactic polypropylene blocks

Structural rheology of microphase separated diblock copolymers

We formulate a viscoelastic theory for interconnected microphase separated structures such as a double gyroid in diblock copolymer melts. We consider the energy increase and the energy dissipation due to the deformation of interconnected periodic domains. The dominant elastic part agrees with previous analytical results obtained by a phase formulation of deformations. It is shown that a viscous...

Ailoring Spatial Orientations of Microphase-Separated Cylinders and Lamellae of Block Copolymer Thin Films

In the study, I investigated microphaseseparated nanostructures of PS-P2VP thin films by annealing in binary solvent vapors of chloroform and methanol. Ordered microphase-separated nanostructures were achieved by controlling solvent annealing conditions. One of the key parameters is the compositions of binary co-solvent vapors. We also discuss the thermodynamic properties of perpendicularly-or...

Microphase separation in polyelectrolytic diblock copolymer melt: weak segregation limit.

The authors present a generalized theory of microphase separation for charged-neutral diblock copolymer melt. The stability limit of the disordered phase for salt-free melt has been calculated using random phase approximation (RPA) and self-consistent-field theory (SCFT). Explicit analytical free energy expressions for different classical ordered microstructures (lamellar, cylinder, and sphere)...

Stability and orientation of lamellae in diblock copolymer films.

The dynamics of microphase separation and the orientation of lamellae in diblock copolymers are investigated in terms of a mean-field model. The formation of lamellar structures and their stable states are explored and it is shown that lamellae are stable not only for the period of the structure corresponding to the minimum of the free energy. The range of wavelengths of stable lamellae is dete...

Interfacial profiles of mismatched lamellae in thin diblock copolymer films