Ordered Bicontinuous Network Structures Regulated by Orientational Interactions in a Rod-Coil Block Copolymer

• Published in: Chinese journal of polymer science Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 636 - 642
• Main Authors: Lyu, Xiao-Lin, Yang, Shi-Chu, Xiao, An-Qi, Hou, Ping-Ping, Zhang, Wei, Pan, Hong-Bing, Shen, Zhi-Hao, Fan, Xing-He, Zhou, Qi-Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.05.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Block copolymers; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Coils; Condensed Matter Physics; Free energy; Frustration; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Interfacial energy; Internal energy; Lamellar structure; Liquid crystal polymers; Liquid crystals; Metamaterials; Polymer Sciences; Research Article; Self-assembly; Double diamond; Rod-coil; Ordered bicontinuous phase; Block copolymer; Double gyroid
• ISSN: 0256-7679; 1439-6203
• DOI: 10.1007/s10118-024-3082-z

The rich phase behavior of block copolymers (BCPs) has drawn great attention in recent years. However, the double diamond (DD) phase is rarely obtained because of the competition between the minimization of interfacial energy and packing frustration. Here, a rod-coil BCP containing mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymer is designed to acquire ordered bicontinuous network nanostructures. The reduction of internal energy originating from the orientational interaction among the rod blocks can compensate for the free energy penalty of packing frustration to stabilize the DD structure. The resulting BCP can also experience lamellae-to-DD and double gyroid-to-lamellae transitions by changing the annealing temperature. These results make the rod-coil BCP an excellent candidate for the self-assembly of ordered network structures, demonstrating great potential in nanopatterning and metamaterials.