1
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Lee H, Kwon S, Min J, Jin SM, Hwang JH, Lee E, Lee WB, Park MJ. Thermodynamically stable plumber's nightmare structures in block copolymers. Science 2024; 383:70-76. [PMID: 38175890 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh0483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Block copolymer self-assembly affords diverse nanostructures, spanning from spheres and cylinders to networks, offering meticulous control over properties and functionalities at the nanoscale. However, creating thermodynamically stable network structures with high packing frustration remains a challenge. In this study, we report a methodology to access diverse network structures such as gyroid, diamond, and primitive phases from diblock copolymers using end group and linker chemistry. The stability of the medial packing of polymer chain ends (plumber's nightmare structure) over skeletal aggregation (gyroid) is attributed to the interplay between the strength of the end-end interactions and the initial shape of the curvature. Our study establishes an approach to develop tailored network structures from block copolymers, providing an important platform for using block copolymers in nanotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangwoo Kwon
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaemin Min
- Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Mi Jin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Ho Hwang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunji Lee
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Bo Lee
- School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Jeong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
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2
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Lai CT, Shi A. Binary Blends of Diblock Copolymers: An Effective Route to Novel Bicontinuous Phases. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.202100019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chi To Lai
- Department of Physics & Astronomy McMaster University 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton Ontario L8S 4M1 Canada
| | - An‐Chang Shi
- Department of Physics & Astronomy McMaster University 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton Ontario L8S 4M1 Canada
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3
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Mesoscale networks and corresponding transitions from self-assembly of block copolymers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022275118. [PMID: 33688050 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022275118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of cubic network phases was obtained from the self-assembly of a single-composition lamellae (L)-forming block copolymer (BCP) polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) through solution casting using a PS-selective solvent. An unusual network phase in diblock copolymers, double-primitive phase (DP) with space group of [Formula: see text], can be observed. With the reduction of solvent evaporation rate for solution casting, a double-diamond phase (DD) with space group of [Formula: see text] can be formed. By taking advantage of thermal annealing, order-order transitions from the DP and DD phases to a double-gyroid phase (DG) with space group of [Formula: see text] can be identified. The order-order transitions from DP (hexapod network) to DD (tetrapod network), and finally to DG (trigonal planar network) are attributed to the reduction of the degree of packing frustration within the junction (node), different from the predicted Bonnet transformation from DD to DG, and finally to DP based on enthalpic consideration only. This discovery suggests a new methodology to acquire various network phases from a simple diblock system by kinetically controlling self-assembling process.
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4
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Buchanan N, Browka K, Ketcham L, Le H, Padmanabhan P. Conformational and topological correlations in non-frustated triblock copolymers with homopolymers. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:758-768. [PMID: 33232430 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01612h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The phase behavior of non-frustrated ABC block copolymers polymers, modeling poly(isoprene-b-styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (ISO), is studied using dissipative particle dynamic (DPD) simulations. The phase diagram showed a wide composition range for the alternating gyroid morphology, which can be transformed to a chiral metamaterial. A quantitative analysis of topology was developed, that correlates the location of a block relative to the interface with the block's end-to-end distance. This analysis showed that the A-blocks stretched as they were located deeper in the A-rich region. To further expand the stability of the alternating gyroid phase, A-selective homopolymers of different lengths were co-assembled with the ABC copolymer at several compositions. Topological analysis showed that homopolymers with lengths shorter than or equal to the A-block length filled the middle of the networks, decreasing packing frustration and stabilizing them, while longer homopolymers stretched across the network but allowed for the formation of stable, novel morphologies. Adding homopolymers to triblock copolymer melts increases tunability of the network, offering greater control over the final stable phase and bridging two separate regions in the phase diagram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Buchanan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA. and Microsystems Engineering PhD Program, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Krysia Browka
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Lianna Ketcham
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Hillary Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Poornima Padmanabhan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA.
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5
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Nowak C, Misra M, Escobedo FA. Framework for Inverse Mapping Chemistry-Agnostic Coarse-Grained Simulation Models into Chemistry-Specific Models. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:5045-5056. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Nowak
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Mayank Misra
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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6
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Nowak C, Escobedo FA. Stability of the Gyroid Phase in Rod–Coil Systems via Thermodynamic Integration with Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Theory Comput 2018; 14:5984-5991. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.8b00419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Nowak
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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7
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Lin CH, Higuchi T, Chen HL, Tsai JC, Jinnai H, Hashimoto T. Stabilizing the Ordered Bicontinuous Double Diamond Structure of Diblock Copolymer by Configurational Regularity. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Takeshi Higuchi
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Hsin-Lung Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Jing-Cherng Tsai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 62102, Taiwan
| | - Hiroshi Jinnai
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
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8
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Kumar A, Molinero V. Why Is Gyroid More Difficult to Nucleate from Disordered Liquids than Lamellar and Hexagonal Mesophases? J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:4758-4770. [PMID: 29620902 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b02381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymers, surfactants, and biomolecules form lamellar, hexagonal, and gyroid mesophases. Across these systems, the nucleation of lamellar from the disordered liquid is the easiest and the nucleation of gyroid the most challenging. This poses the question of what are the factors that determine the rates of nucleation of the mesophases and whether they are controlled by the complexity of the structures or the thermodynamics of nucleation. Here, we use molecular simulations to investigate the nucleation and thermodynamics of lamellar, hexagonal, and gyroid in a binary mixture of particles that produces the same mesophases as those of surfactants and block copolymers. We demonstrate that a combination of averaged bond-order parameters q̅2 and q̅8 identifies and distinguishes the three mesophases. We use these parameters to track the microscopic process of nucleation of each mesophase and investigate the existence of heterogeneous nucleation (cross-nucleation) between mesophases. We estimate the surface tensions of the liquid/mesophase interfaces from nucleation rates using classical nucleation theory and find that they are comparable for the three mesophases with values that are about a third of those expected for liquid-crystal interfaces. The driving forces for nucleation, on the other hand, are quite different and increase in the order gyroid < hexagonal < lamellar at any temperature. We find that the nucleation rates of the mesophases follow the order of their driving forces. We conclude that the difficulty to nucleate the gyroid originates in its lower temperature of melting and extremely low entropy of melting compared to those of the hexagonal and lamellar mesophases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinaw Kumar
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Utah , 315 South 1400 East , Salt Lake City , Utah 84112-0850 , United States
| | - Valeria Molinero
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Utah , 315 South 1400 East , Salt Lake City , Utah 84112-0850 , United States
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9
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Sun Y, Padmanabhan P, Misra M, Escobedo FA. Molecular dynamics simulation of thermotropic bolaamphiphiles with a swallow-tail lateral chain: formation of cubic network phases. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:8542-8555. [PMID: 29095474 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01819c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
T-shaped bolaamphiphiles (TBA) with a swallow-tail lateral chain have been found to provide a fertile platform to produce complex liquid crystalline phases that are accessible through changes of temperature and lateral chain length and design. In this work, we use molecular simulations of a simple coarse-grained model to map out the phase behavior of this type of molecules. This model is based on the premise that the crucial details of the fluid structure stem from close range repulsions and the strong directional forces typical of hydrogen bonds. Our simulations confirm that TBAs exhibit a rich phase behavior upon increasing the length of their lateral chain. The simulations detect a double gyroid phase and an axial-bundle columnar phase which bear some structural resemblance to those found in the experiment. In addition, simulations predict two cocontinuous phases with 3D-periodicity: the "single" diamond and the "single" plumber's nightmare phase. Our analysis of energetic and entropic contributions to the free energy of phases formed by TBA with either swallow-tail or linear side-chains suggest that the 3D-periodic network phases formed by the former are stabilized by the large conformation entropy of the side-chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Sun
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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10
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Padmanabhan P, Martinez-Veracoechea F, Escobedo FA. Computation of Free Energies of Cubic Bicontinuous Phases for Blends of Diblock Copolymer and Selective Homopolymer. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Poornima Padmanabhan
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | | | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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11
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12
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Escobedo FA. Engineering entropy in soft matter: the bad, the ugly and the good. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:8388-8400. [PMID: 25164392 DOI: 10.1039/c4sm01646g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The role of entropic interactions, often subtle and sometimes crucial, on the structure and properties of soft matter has a well-recognized place in the classic and modern scientific literature. However, the lessons learned from many of those studies do not always form part of the standard arsenal of strategies that are taught or used for de novo studies relevant to the engineering of new materials. Fortunately, a growing number of examples exist where entropic effects have been designed a priori to achieve a desired or new outcome. This tutorial review describes some recent such examples, selected to illustrate the potential benefits of a more pro-active approach to harnessing the often overlooked power of entropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Escobedo
- School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14953, USA.
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13
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Li Y, Qian HJ, Lu ZY, Shi AC. Enhancing composition window of bicontinuous structures by designed polydispersity distribution of ABA triblock copolymers. POLYMER 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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14
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Hur K, Hennig RG, Escobedo FA, Wiesner U. Predicting chiral nanostructures, lattices and superlattices in complex multicomponent nanoparticle self-assembly. NANO LETTERS 2012; 12:3218-3223. [PMID: 22587566 DOI: 10.1021/nl301209c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
"Bottom up" type nanoparticle (NP) self-assembly is expected to provide facile routes to nanostructured materials for various, for example, energy related, applications. Despite progress in simulations and theories, structure prediction of self-assembled materials beyond simple model systems remains challenging. Here we utilize a field theory approach for predicting nanostructure of complex and multicomponent hybrid systems with multiple types of short- and long-range interactions. We propose design criteria for controlling a range of NP based nanomaterial structures. In good agreement with recent experiments, the theory predicts that ABC triblock terpolymer directed assemblies with ligand-stabilized NPs can lead to chiral NP network structures. Furthermore, we predict that long-range Coulomb interactions between NPs leading to simple NP lattices, when applied to NP/block copolymer (BCP) assemblies, induce NP superlattice formation within the phase separated BCP nanostructure, a strategy not yet realized experimentally. We expect such superlattices to be of increasing interest to communities involved in research on, for example, energy generation and storage, metamaterials, as well as microelectronics and information storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kahyun Hur
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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15
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Karatchentsev A, Sommer JU. Simulations of the gyroid phase in diblock copolymers with the Gaussian disphere model. J Chem Phys 2010; 133:244903. [PMID: 21198006 DOI: 10.1063/1.3514892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pure melts of asymmetric diblock copolymers are studied by means of the off-lattice Gaussian disphere model with Monte-Carlo kinetics. In this model, a diblock copolymer chain is mapped onto two soft repulsive spheres with fluctuating radii of gyration and distance between centers of mass of the spheres. Microscopic input quantities of the model such as the combined probability distribution for the radii of gyration and the distance between the spheres as well as conditional monomer number densities assigned to each block were derived in the previous work of F. Eurich and P. Maass [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 7655 (2001)] within an underlying Gaussian chain model. The polymerization degree of the whole chain as well as those of the individual blocks are freely tunable parameters thus enabling a precise determination of the regions of stability of various phases. The model neglects entanglement effects which are irrelevant for the formation of ordered structures in diblock copolymers and which would otherwise unnecessarily increase the equilibration time of the system. The gyroid phase was reproduced in between the cylindrical and lamellar phases in systems with box sizes being commensurate with the size of the unit cell of the gyroid morphology. The region of stability of the gyroid phase was studied in detail and found to be consistent with the prediction of the mean-field theory. Packing frustration was observed in the form of increased radii of gyration of both blocks of the chains located close to the gyroid nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Karatchentsev
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
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16
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Hur K, Hennig RG, Escobedo FA, Wiesner U. Mesoscopic structure prediction of nanoparticle assembly and coassembly: Theoretical foundation. J Chem Phys 2010; 133:194108. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3502680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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17
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Anderson JA, Sknepnek R, Travesset A. Design of polymer nanocomposites in solution by polymer functionalization. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2010; 82:021803. [PMID: 20866830 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.82.021803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2010] [Revised: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites, materials combining polymers and inorganic components such as nanosized crystallites or nanoparticles have attracted significant attention in recent years. A successful strategy for designing polymer nanocomposites is polymer functionalization via attaching functional groups with specific affinity for the inorganic component. In this paper, a systematic investigation by molecular dynamics of polymer functionalization for design of composites combining nanosize crystallites with multiblock polymers in solution is presented. It is shown that functionalization is an example of active self-assembly, where the resulting polymer nanocomposite exhibits a different type of order than the original pure polymer system (without inorganic components). Optimal polymer architectures and concentrations are identified appropriate for different applications, alongside an in-depth analysis on the origin and stability of the resulting phases as well as its experimental implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Anderson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109 USA
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18
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Glagoleva AA, Vasilevskaya VV, Khokhlov AR. Microphase separation in the melts of diblock copolymers composed of linear and amphiphilic blocks. POLYMER SCIENCE SERIES A 2010. [DOI: 10.1134/s0965545x10020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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19
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Abreu CRA. Isochronal sampling in non-Boltzmann Monte Carlo methods. J Chem Phys 2009; 131:154113. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3245304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Charlles R A Abreu
- School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-970, Brazil.
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20
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Martinez-Veracoechea FJ, Escobedo FA. The Plumber’s Nightmare Phase in Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends. A Self-Consistent Field Theory Study. Macromolecules 2009. [DOI: 10.1021/ma901591r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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21
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Meuler AJ, Hillmyer MA, Bates FS. Ordered Network Mesostructures in Block Polymer Materials. Macromolecules 2009. [DOI: 10.1021/ma9009593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Meuler
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Marc A. Hillmyer
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Frank S. Bates
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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22
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Iacovella CR, Glotzer SC. Complex crystal structures formed by the self-assembly of ditethered nanospheres. NANO LETTERS 2009; 9:1206-1211. [PMID: 19215081 DOI: 10.1021/nl900051u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report the results from a computational study of the self-assembly of amphiphilic ditethered nanospheres using molecular simulation. As a function of the interaction strength and directionality of the tether-tether interactions, we predict the formation of four highly ordered phases not previously reported for nanoparticle systems. We find a double diamond structure comprised of a zinc blende (binary diamond) arrangement of spherical micelles with a complementary diamond network of nanoparticles (ZnS/D), a phase of alternating spherical micelles in a NaCl structure with a complementary simple cubic network of nanoparticles to form an overall crystal structure identical to that of AlCu2Mn (NaCl/SC), an alternating tetragonal ordered cylinder phase with a tetragonal mesh of nanoparticles described by the [8,8,4] Archimedean tiling (TC/T), and an alternating diamond phase in which both diamond networks are formed by the tethers (AD) within a nanoparticle matrix. We compare these structures with those observed in linear and star triblock copolymer systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Iacovella
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2136, USA
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23
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Martínez-Veracoechea FJ, Escobedo FA. Bicontinuous Phases in Diblock Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends: Simulation and Self-Consistent Field Theory. Macromolecules 2009. [DOI: 10.1021/ma802427a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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24
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Lintuvuori JS, Wilson MR. A coarse-grained simulation study of mesophase formation in a series of rod–coil multiblock copolymers. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2009; 11:2116-25. [DOI: 10.1039/b818616b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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25
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Ilnytskyi JM, Patsahan T, Holovko M, Krouskop PE, Makowski MP. Morphological Changes in Block Copolymer Melts Due to a Variation of Intramolecular Branching. Dissipative Particles Dynamics Study. Macromolecules 2008. [DOI: 10.1021/ma801045z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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26
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Iacovella CR, Horsch MA, Glotzer SC. Local ordering of polymer-tethered nanospheres and nanorods and the stabilization of the double gyroid phase. J Chem Phys 2008; 129:044902. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2953581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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27
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Martínez-Veracoechea FJ, Escobedo FA. Variance Minimization of Free Energy Estimates from Optimized Expanded Ensembles. J Phys Chem B 2008; 112:8120-8. [DOI: 10.1021/jp801688p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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28
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Sknepnek R, Anderson JA, Lamm MH, Schmalian J, Travesset A. Nanoparticle ordering via functionalized block copolymers in solution. ACS NANO 2008; 2:1259-1265. [PMID: 19206343 DOI: 10.1021/nn8001449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We consider nanoparticles and functionalized copolymers, block copolymers with attached end groups possessing a specific affinity for nanoparticles, in solution. Using molecular dynamics, we show that nanoparticles are able to direct the self-assembly of the polymer/nanoparticle composite. We perform a detailed study for a wide range of nanoparticle sizes and concentrations. We show that the nanoparticles order in a number of distinct phases: simple cubic, layered hexagonal, hexagonal columnar, gyroid, and a novel square columnar. Our results show that nanoparticles ordered with functionalized block copolymers can provide a simple and efficient tool for assembling novel materials with nanometer scale resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rastko Sknepnek
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
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29
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Escobedo FA, Martínez-Veracoechea FJ. Optimized expanded ensembles for simulations involving molecular insertions and deletions. I. Closed systems. J Chem Phys 2007; 127:174103. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2800320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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