POS4-1120
Enhanced Network Morphology Development through Isothermal Annealing in PS-b-PI Block Copolymers
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Mingeun Park (Yonsei University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Enhanced Network Morphology Development through Isothermal Annealing in PS-b-PI Block Copolymers
Mingeun Park, Jaehyuk Jung Du Yeol Ryu*
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Block copolymer self-assembly enables the formation of a variety of ordered nanostructures, while their morphology evolution strongly depends on thermal processing pathways. In this study, the morphology evolution of a PS-b-PI block copolymer was investigated by in-situ synchrotron SAXS during continuous heating and cooling, and subsequent isothermal annealing. Distinct order–order transition (OOT) pathways were observed between heating and cooling, demonstrating pronounced thermal-history-dependent morphology evolution. While continuous heating followed the equilibrium phase sequence, cooling produced distinct bicontinuous network morphologies, including Fddd, gyroid, and HPL. Subsequent isothermal annealing promoted further structural development, leading to enhanced long-range ordering and stabilization of the network structure beyond that achieved by continuous thermal annealing. These results verify isothermal annealing as a powerful strategy for precisely controlling self-assembly of block copolymer bicontiuous network morphology and provide a versatile processing platform for the fabrication of highly ordered functional nanostructures and thin-film materials.
Keywords: Block copolymer, Isothermal annealing, Order–order transition, SAXS
Mingeun Park, Jaehyuk Jung Du Yeol Ryu*
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Block copolymer self-assembly enables the formation of a variety of ordered nanostructures, while their morphology evolution strongly depends on thermal processing pathways. In this study, the morphology evolution of a PS-b-PI block copolymer was investigated by in-situ synchrotron SAXS during continuous heating and cooling, and subsequent isothermal annealing. Distinct order–order transition (OOT) pathways were observed between heating and cooling, demonstrating pronounced thermal-history-dependent morphology evolution. While continuous heating followed the equilibrium phase sequence, cooling produced distinct bicontinuous network morphologies, including Fddd, gyroid, and HPL. Subsequent isothermal annealing promoted further structural development, leading to enhanced long-range ordering and stabilization of the network structure beyond that achieved by continuous thermal annealing. These results verify isothermal annealing as a powerful strategy for precisely controlling self-assembly of block copolymer bicontiuous network morphology and provide a versatile processing platform for the fabrication of highly ordered functional nanostructures and thin-film materials.
Keywords: Block copolymer, Isothermal annealing, Order–order transition, SAXS
