KES2-1581
Polymer Chemistries for Double Gyroid Morphologies – Past, Present, and Future
Topic
S2. High-End Characterization/Polymer Physics/Properties
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
15:00 - 15:25
Room 103
Session Chairs
Eunji LEE
Presenter(s)
Karen Winey (University of Pennsylvania)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymer synthetic chemistry can now provide remarkable control over polymer microstructures, including the placement of associating functional groups in acid- and ion-containing polymers. We have studied various precise and nearly-precise polymer architectures focusing on connecting the polymer microstructure to self-assembled morphologies and transport properties. This talk will discuss segmented ionomers containing polar units with one neutralized sulfonate group separated by alkyl segments, synthesized in Prof. Stefan Mecking’s group. When the alkyl block is a precise number of methylene groups, these multiblock ionomers exhibit exceptional long-range order and order-order transitions reminiscent of diblock copolymers. We constructed phase diagrams for comparison with theoretical predictions and computed the effective chi parameters from X-ray scattering data of their disordered morphologies. With respect to ion conductivity, the most promising ordered structure is the double gyroid, which exhibits higher ionic conductivity than the isotropic layered or hexagonal morphologies. Using the medial packing model for the double gyroid morphology, we defined a stretching ratio of the alkyl block that identifies which polymer architectures can exhibit the double gyroid. Finally, by reviewing a wider array of functionalized polymers, we establish a set of criteria for producing double gyroid morphologies.
