Self-assembly scenarios of block copolymer stars

Author： Koch Christian Likos Christos N. Panagiotopoulos Athanassios Z. Lo Verso Federica

ISSN： 1362-3028

Source： Molecular Physics, Vol.109, Iss.23-24, 2011-12, pp. : 3049-3060

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Abstract

We examine the self-organization scenarios of star-shaped AB-block copolymers, consisting of a solvophilic A-block and a solvophobic B-block, in which f such blocks are chemically anchored on a common centre on their A-parts, leaving the B-blocks exposed on their exterior. We employ a lattice model and we perform Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations for the case f = 6, varying thereby the percentage of attractive monomers as well as the concentration of stars. In agreement with previous studies on the low-functionality case f = 3 [F. Lo Verso, A.Z. Panagiotopoulos, and C.N. Likos, Phys. Rev. E 79, 010401(R) (2009)], we find that when the majority of monomers in the star are attractive, macrophase separation between two fluid phases at different concentrations of stars occurs below a system-dependent critical temperature. When the majority of monomers is repulsive, novel forms of self-organization arise, which include not only well-defined spherical micelles but also the coexistence of a multiply-connected percolating cluster with smaller micelles having a well-defined size. The morphological characteristics and the sizes of the ensuing aggregates are quantitatively analysed and a critical comparison with the case f = 3 and f = 10 is presented.