Molecular Weight Dependent Morphological Transition of Bottlebrush Block Copolymer Particles
발표자
()
초록
내용
The molecular weights and chain-rigidities of block copolymers can strongly influence their self-assembly behavior, particularly when the block copolymers are under confinement. We investigate the self-assembly of bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs) confined in evaporative emulsions with a series of symmetric BBCPs with different degrees of polymerization of the polynorbornene (PNB) backbone (NPNB). Morphological transitions from onion-like concentric particles into striped ellipsoids occur as the NPNB of the BBCP increases, which is also predicted from simulations of BBCP droplets by an implicit solvent model. Furthermore, we investigated the morphological evolutions of ellipsoidal BBCP particles having the unique axial development of ring-like lamellae domains on the particle surface, followed by the radial propagation into the particle center. Finally, the shape-anisotropies of the ellipsoidal BBCP particles are analyzed as functions of NPNB and particle volume.