KES2-1568
Network Phases from Self-assembly of ABC Bottlebrush Block Terpolymers
Topic
S2. High-End Characterization/Polymer Physics/Properties
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
10:50 - 11:15
Room 103
Session Chairs
Moon Jeong PARK
Presenter(s)
Timothy Lodge (University of Minnesota)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymeric materials that feature two percolating domains are of interest across a diverse range of applications, from water filtration to ion battery electrolytes, and from solar cells to drug delivery. A co-continuous nanostructure can enable simultaneous optimization of nominally orthogonal properties, such as mechanical strength and high molecular transport. This goal can be achieved by self-assembly of appropriately designed AB diblock copolymers into network phases, such as the double gyroid. The resulting material can then be rendered porous by selective etching of one domain, which can then serve as a template for production of a new thermoset material after infiltration with a suitable precursor. However, this approach suffers from several constraints, including a restricted range of pore size (typically 5–40 nm). Bottlebrush block copolymers offer an appealing route to self-assembled domains with larger length scales, due to the enhanced molecular volume and extended backbone. Bottlebrushes have the additional advantage that the architecture suppresses chain entanglement, and therefore may facilitate processing. However, AB bottlebrush diblocks apparently do not form the double gyroid. Accordingly, we have been exploring the phase behavior of ABC triblock bottlebrush terpolymers. These materials were prepared by sequential ROMP, from poly(ethylene-alt-propylene) (PEP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene oxide (PEO) or polylactide (PLA) macromonomers. Selected triblock terpolymers can pack into the core-shell double gyroid structure, and the unit cell dimension grows almost linearly with molar mass, even beyond 100 nm. The ABC triblock terpolymers also exhibit several other novel structures, including a rectangular-centered cylinders-in-undulating-layer structure, alternating tetragonally packed cylinders, and even an apparently disordered but stable network phase.
