1
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Li N, Li J, Qing L, Ma S, Li Y, Li B. Self-assembly of colloids with competing interactions confined in spheres. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:304-314. [PMID: 38050746 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01227a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
At low temperatures, colloidal particles with short-range attractive and long-range repulsive interactions can form various periodic microphases in bulk. In this paper, we investigate the self-assembly behaviour of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement by conducting molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the cluster, mixture, cylindrical, perforated lamellar and lamellar structures can be obtained, but the details of the ordered structures are different from those in bulk systems. Interestingly, the system tends to form more perforated structures when confined in smaller spheres. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is driven by the relationship between the energy of the ordered structures and the bending of the confinement wall, which is different from the mechanism in copolymer systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningyi Li
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Junhong Li
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Lijingting Qing
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Shicheng Ma
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Yao Li
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Baohui Li
- School of Physics, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Nankai University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin, 300071, China.
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2
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Spencer RKW, Matsen MW. Surface Segregation in Athermal Polymer Blends Due to Conformational Asymmetry. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell K. W. Spencer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Mark W. Matsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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3
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Ghasimakbari T, Morse DC. Order-Disorder Transitions and Free Energies in Asymmetric Diblock Copolymers. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Taher Ghasimakbari
- Department of Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - David C. Morse
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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4
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Zhang J, Kremer K, Michels JJ, Daoulas KC. Exploring Disordered Morphologies of Blends and Block Copolymers for Light-Emitting Diodes with Mesoscopic Simulations. Macromolecules 2020; 53:523-538. [PMID: 32655190 PMCID: PMC7343280 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Recently,
disordered blends of semiconducting and insulating polymers have been
used to prepare light-emitting diodes with increased luminous efficiency.
Because the thermodynamic stability of the disordered phase in blends
is limited, equivalent diblock copolymers (BCPs) could be an alternative.
However, the choice between disordered blends and BCPs requires understanding
structural differences and their effect on charge carrier transport.
Using a hybrid mesoscopic model, we simulate blends and equivalent
BCPs of two representative semiconducting and insulating polymers:
poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) and polyacrylate.
The immiscibility is varied to mimic annealing at different temperatures.
We find stable or metastable disordered morphologies until we reach
the mean-field (MF) spinodal. Disordered morphologies are heterogeneous
because of thermal fluctuations and local segregation. Near the MF
spinodal, segregation is stronger in BCPs than in the blends, even
though the immiscibility, normalized by the MF spinodal, is the same.
We link the spatial distribution of PPV with electric conductance.
We predict that the immiscibility (temperature at which the layer
is annealed) affects electrical percolation much stronger in BCPs
than in blends. Differences in the local structure and percolation
between blends and BCPs are enhanced at a high insulator content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrui Zhang
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kurt Kremer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jasper J Michels
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Kostas Ch Daoulas
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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5
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Willis JD, Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Calibration of a lattice model for high-molecular-weight block copolymer melts. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:204906. [PMID: 31153196 DOI: 10.1063/1.5094144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Morse calibration is applied to a lattice model designed for efficient simulations of two-component polymer melts of high molecular weight. The model allows multiple occupancy per site, which results in high invariant polymerization indices, and interactions are limited to monomers within the same site, which enhances the computational speed. The calibration maps the interaction parameter of the lattice model, α, onto the Flory-Huggins χ parameter of the standard Gaussian-chain model, by matching the disordered-state structure function, S(k), of symmetric diblock copolymers to renormalized one-loop predictions. The quantitative accuracy of the calibration is tested by comparing the order-disorder transition of symmetric diblock copolymer melts to the universal prediction obtained from previous simulations. The model is then used to confirm the universality of fluctuation corrections to the critical point of symmetric binary homopolymer blends.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Willis
- Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - T M Beardsley
- Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - M W Matsen
- Department of Physics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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6
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Mukhtyar AJ, Escobedo FA. Developing Local Order Parameters for Order–Disorder Transitions From Particles to Block Copolymers: Methodological Framework. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ankita J. Mukhtyar
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
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7
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Carilli MF, Delaney KT, Fredrickson GH. Nucleation of the lamellar phase from the disordered phase of the renormalized Landau-Brazovskii model. J Chem Phys 2018; 148:054903. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5003150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael F. Carilli
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Kris T. Delaney
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Glenn H. Fredrickson
- Materials Research Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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8
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Mahmoudi P, Forrest WSR, Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Testing the Universality of Entropic Segregation at Polymer Surfaces. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Mahmoudi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Physics & Astronomy, and §Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - W. S. R. Forrest
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Physics & Astronomy, and §Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - T. M. Beardsley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Physics & Astronomy, and §Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - M. W. Matsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, ‡Department of Physics & Astronomy, and §Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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9
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Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Fluctuation correction for the critical transition of symmetric homopolymer blends. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:044905. [PMID: 28764348 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Monte Carlo simulations are performed on structurally symmetric binary homopolymer blends over a wide range of invariant polymerization indices, N¯. A finite-size scaling analysis reveals that certain critical exponents deviate from the expected 3D-Ising values as N¯ increases. However, the deviations are consistent with previous simulations and can be attributed to the fact that the system crosses over to mean-field behavior when the molecules become too large relative to the size of the simulation box. Nevertheless, the finite-size scaling techniques provide precise predictions for the position of the critical transition. Using a previous calibration of the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, χ, we confirm that the critical point scales as (χN)c=2+cN¯-1∕2 for large N¯, and more importantly we are able to extract a reliable estimate, c≈1.5, for the universal constant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Beardsley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Mark W Matsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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10
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Berezkin AV, Kudryavtsev YV, Gorkunov MV, Osipov MA. Ordering of anisotropic nanoparticles in diblock copolymer lamellae: Simulations with dissipative particle dynamics and a molecular theory. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:144902. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4979897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly V. Berezkin
- Technische Universität München, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85747 Garching, Germany
| | - Yaroslav V. Kudryavtsev
- Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 31, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim V. Gorkunov
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics,” Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail A. Osipov
- Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Mathematics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XH, Scotland, United Kingdom
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11
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Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Universality between Experiment and Simulation of a Diblock Copolymer Melt. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:217801. [PMID: 27911549 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.217801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The equivalent behavior among analogous block copolymer systems involving chemically distinct molecules or mathematically different models has long hinted at an underlying universality, but only recently has it been rigorously demonstrated by matching results from different simulations. The profound implication of universality is that simple coarse-grained models can be calibrated so as to provide quantitatively accurate predictions to experiment. Here, we provide the first compelling demonstration of this by simulating a polyisoprene-polylactide diblock copolymer melt using a previously calibrated lattice model. The simulation successfully predicts the peak in the disordered-state structure function, the position of the order-disorder transition, and the latent heat of the transition in excellent quantitative agreement with experiment. This could mark a new era of precision in the field of block copolymer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Beardsley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Mark W Matsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
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12
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Zong J, Wang Q. On the order-disorder transition of compressible diblock copolymer melts. J Chem Phys 2015; 143:184903. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4934992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1370, USA
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1370, USA
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13
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Arora A, Morse DC, Bates FS, Dorfman KD. Commensurability and finite size effects in lattice simulations of diblock copolymers. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:4862-4867. [PMID: 25994841 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm00838g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Lattice Monte Carlo (MC) simulations provide an efficient method for exploring the structure and phase behavior of block polymer melts. However, the results of such simulations may differ from the equilibrium behavior of a hypothetical infinite system as a consequence of the finite size of the simulation box. Standard finite-size scaling techniques cannot be employed to remove the effects of a small system size due to incommensurability between the ordered structure domain spacing and the periodicity of the simulation box. This work describes a systematic approach to estimating the equilibrium domain spacing in lattice MC simulations of symmetric diblock copolymers, and thereby minimize the effects of incommensurability. Results for simulations with commensurate simulation boxes, which are designed to be commensurate with the preferred lattice periodicity but contain different numbers of unit cells, show that once the effects of incommensurability are removed, the effects of finite size alone are relatively small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Arora
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 421 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
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14
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Medapuram P, Glaser J, Morse DC. Universal Phenomenology of Symmetric Diblock Copolymers near the Order–Disorder Transition. Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/ma5017264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pavani Medapuram
- Department
of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jens Glaser
- Department
of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - David C. Morse
- Department
of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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15
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Glaser J, Medapuram P, Beardsley TM, Matsen MW, Morse DC. Universality of block copolymer melts. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 113:068302. [PMID: 25148355 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.113.068302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Simulations of five different coarse-grained models of symmetric diblock copolymers are compared to demonstrate a universal (i.e., model-independent) dependence of the free energy and order-disorder transition (ODT) on the invariant degree of polymerization N̄. The actual values of χN at the ODT approach predictions of the Fredrickson-Helfand (FH) theory for N̄ ≳ 10(4) but significantly exceed FH predictions at lower values characteristic of most experiments. The FH theory fails for modest N̄ because the competing phases become strongly segregated near the ODT, violating an underlying assumption of weak segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Glaser
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Pavani Medapuram
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Thomas M Beardsley
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AX, United Kingdom
| | - Mark W Matsen
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AX, United Kingdom
| | - David C Morse
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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16
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Gavrilov AA, Kudryavtsev YV, Chertovich AV. Phase diagrams of block copolymer melts by dissipative particle dynamics simulations. J Chem Phys 2014; 139:224901. [PMID: 24329087 DOI: 10.1063/1.4837215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase diagrams for monodisperse and polydisperse diblock copolymer melts and a random multiblock copolymer melt are constructed using dissipative particle dynamics simulations. A thorough visual analysis and calculation of the static structure factor in several hundreds of points at each of the diagrams prove the ability of mesoscopic molecular dynamics to predict the phase behavior of polymer systems as effectively as the self-consistent field-theory and Monte Carlo simulations do. It is demonstrated that the order-disorder transition (ODT) curve for monodisperse diblocks can be precisely located by a spike in the dependence of the mean square pressure fluctuation on χN, where χ is the Flory-Huggins parameter and N is the chain length. For two other copolymer types, the continuous ODTs are observed. Large polydispersity of both blocks obeying the Flory distribution in length does not shift the ODT curve but considerably narrows the domains of the cylindrical and lamellar phases partially replacing them with the wormlike micelle and perforated lamellar phases, respectively. Instead of the pure 3d-bicontinuous phase in monodisperse diblocks, which could be identified as the gyroid, a coexistence of the 3d phase and cylindrical micelles is detected in polydisperse diblocks. The lamellar domain spacing D in monodisperse diblocks follows the strong-segregation theory prediction, D∕N(1∕2) ~ (χN)(1∕6), whereas in polydisperse diblocks it is almost independent of χN at χN < 100. Completely random multiblock copolymers cannot form ordered microstructures other than lamellas at any composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey A Gavrilov
- Physics Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, build. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yaroslav V Kudryavtsev
- Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prosp. 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V Chertovich
- Physics Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, build. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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17
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Wang H, Vassiliev O. Microdosimetric characterisation of radiation fields for modelling tissue response in radiotherapy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER THERAPY AND ONCOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.14319/ijcto.0201.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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18
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Glaser J, Qin J, Medapuram P, Morse DC. Collective and Single-Chain Correlations in Disordered Melts of Symmetric Diblock Copolymers: Quantitative Comparison of Simulations and Theory. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma401694u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Glaser
- Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jian Qin
- Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Pavani Medapuram
- Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - David C. Morse
- Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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19
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Pandav G, Ganesan V. Fluctuation effects on the order-disorder transition in polydisperse copolymer melts. J Chem Phys 2013; 139:214905. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4833137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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20
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Zong J, Wang Q. Fluctuation/correlation effects in symmetric diblock copolymers: on the order-disorder transition. J Chem Phys 2013; 139:124907. [PMID: 24089804 DOI: 10.1063/1.4821815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Using fast off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations with experimentally accessible fluctuations, we reported the first systematic study unambiguously quantifying the shift of the order-disorder transition (ODT) χ* of symmetric diblock copolymers from the mean-field prediction χ(MF)*. Our simulations are performed in a canonical ensemble with variable box lengths to eliminate the restriction of periodic boundary conditions on the lamellar period, and give the most accurate data of χ* and bulk lamellar period reported to date. Exactly the same model system (Hamiltonian) is used in both our simulations and mean-field theory; the ODT shift is therefore due to the fluctuations/correlations neglected by the latter. While χ*/χ(MF)*-1∝N(-k) is found with N denoting the invariant degree of polymerization, k decreases around the N-value corresponding to the face-centered cubic close packing of polymer segments as hard spheres, indicating the short-range correlation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1370, USA
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21
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Knychała P, Dzięcielski M, Banaszak M, Balsara NP. Phase Behavior of Ionic Block Copolymers Studied by a Minimal Lattice Model with Short-Range Interactions. Macromolecules 2013. [DOI: 10.1021/ma400078y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Knychała
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614
Poznan, Poland
| | - M. Dzięcielski
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614
Poznan, Poland
| | - M. Banaszak
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614
Poznan, Poland
| | - N. P. Balsara
- Environmental
Energy Technologies
Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, 94720, United States
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California,
94720, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, University of California,
Berkeley, California, 94720, United States
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22
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Lee S, Gillard TM, Bates FS. Fluctuations, Order, and Disorder in Short Diblock Copolymers. AIChE J 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.14023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sangwoo Lee
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; 421 Washington Avenue SE, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis; MN; 55455
| | - Timothy M. Gillard
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; 421 Washington Avenue SE, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis; MN; 55455
| | - Frank S. Bates
- Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; 421 Washington Avenue SE, University of Minnesota; Minneapolis; MN; 55455
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23
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Qin J, Grzywacz P, Morse DC. Renormalized one-loop theory of correlations in disordered diblock copolymers. J Chem Phys 2011; 135:084902. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3609758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [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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24
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Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Monte Carlo Phase Diagram for a Polydisperse Diblock Copolymer Melt. Macromolecules 2011. [DOI: 10.1021/ma200966a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. M. Beardsley
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AX, U.K
| | - M. W. Matsen
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AX, U.K
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25
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Wołoszczuk S, Banaszak M. Effects of compositional asymmetry in phase behavior of ABA triblock copolymer melts from Monte Carlo simulation. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2010; 33:343-350. [PMID: 21120573 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2010-10680-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Accepted: 11/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We simulate ABA triblock copolymer melts using a lattice Monte Carlo method, known as cooperative motion algorithm, probing various degrees of compositional asymmetry. Selected order-disorder transition lines are determined in terms of the segment incompatibility, quantified by product χN , and the triblock asymmetry parameters, α and β. We correlate the results of the simulation with the self-consistent field theory and an experimental study of polyisoprene-polystyrene-polyisoprene triblock melt by Hamersky and coworkers. In particular, we confirm the mean-field prediction that for highly asymmetric triblocks the short A -block is localized in the middle of the B -domain due to an entropic advantage. This results in the middle block relaxation and is consistent with the experimental data indicating that as the relatively short A -blocks are grown into AB diblock, from the B -block side, the order-disorder transition temperature is considerably depressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wołoszczuk
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614, Poznan, Poland
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26
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Beardsley TM, Matsen MW. Monte Carlo phase diagram for diblock copolymer melts. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2010; 32:255-264. [PMID: 20676722 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2010-10651-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2010] [Accepted: 06/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The phase diagram for diblock copolymer melts is evaluated from lattice-based Monte Carlo simulations using parallel tempering, improving upon earlier simulations that used sequential temperature scans. This new approach locates the order-disorder transition (ODT) far more accurately by the occurrence of a sharp spike in the heat capacity. The present study also performs a more thorough investigation of finite-size effects, which reveals that the gyroid (G) morphology spontaneously forms in place of the perforated-lamellar (PL) phase identified in the earlier study. Nevertheless, there still remains a small region where the PL phase appears to be stable. Interestingly, the lamellar (L) phase next to this region exhibits a small population of transient perforations, which may explain previous scattering experiments suggesting a modulated-lamellar (ML) phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Beardsley
- Department of Mathematics, University of Reading, RG6 6AX, Whiteknights, Reading, UK.
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27
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Detcheverry FA, Pike DQ, Nealey PF, Müller M, de Pablo JJ. Simulations of theoretically informed coarse grain models of polymeric systems. Faraday Discuss 2010; 144:111-25; discussion 203-22, 467-81. [DOI: 10.1039/b902283j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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28
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Pike DQ, Detcheverry FA, Müller M, de Pablo JJ. Theoretically informed coarse grain simulations of polymeric systems. J Chem Phys 2009; 131:084903. [PMID: 19725633 DOI: 10.1063/1.3187936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A Monte Carlo formalism for the study of polymeric melts is described. The model is particle-based, but the interaction is derived from a local density functional that appears in the field-based model. The method enables Monte Carlo simulations in the nVT, nPT, semigrandcanonical and Gibbs ensembles, and direct calculation of free energies. The approach is illustrated in the context of two examples. In the first, we consider the phase separation of a binary homopolymer blend and present results for the phase diagram and the critical point. In the second, we address the microphase separation of a symmetric diblock copolymer, examine the distribution of local stresses in lamellae, and determine the order-disorder transition temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin Q Pike
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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29
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Croll AB, Shi AC, Dalnoki-Veress K. Ordering of a lamella-forming fluid near an interface. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2009; 80:051803. [PMID: 20364997 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.80.051803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2008] [Revised: 07/15/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
By using wedged thin films, we have measured the effect of interfaces on the ordering of an anisotropic fluid in real space. Symmetric diblock copolymers can form an ordered lamellar fluid, and the preference of the substrate for one of the blocks can induce order well into the disordered bulk phase. The induced order decays away from the substrate with a length scale that diverges at the bulk ordering transition. Ordering and disordering kinetics are found to differ: all layers relax identically upon disordering, whereas the formation of lamellae is found to vary with the distance from the substrate and can be understood from the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Croll
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and The Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4M1 Canada
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30
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Knychała P, Banaszak M, Park MJ, Balsara NP. Microphase Separation in Sulfonated Block Copolymers Studied by Monte Carlo Simulations. Macromolecules 2009. [DOI: 10.1021/ma901647b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- P. Knychała
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - M. Banaszak
- Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - M. J. Park
- Department of Chemistry and Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - N. P. Balsara
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Materials Sciences Division and Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
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31
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He GL, Merlitz H, Sommer JU, Wu CX. Microphase Separation of Mixed Binary Polymer Brushes at Different Temperatures. Macromolecules 2009. [DOI: 10.1021/ma901093u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Li He
- Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
- Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Merlitz
- Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens-Uwe Sommer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Chen-Xu Wu
- Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
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32
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Morse DC, Chung JK. On the chain length dependence of local correlations in polymer melts and a perturbation theory of symmetric polymer blends. J Chem Phys 2009; 130:224901. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3108460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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33
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Detcheverry FA, Pike DQ, Nealey PF, Müller M, de Pablo JJ. Monte carlo simulation of coarse grain polymeric systems. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2009; 102:197801. [PMID: 19518996 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.102.197801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a particle-based Monte Carlo formalism for the study of polymeric melts, where the interaction energy is given by a local density functional, as is done in traditional field-theoretic models. The method enables Monte Carlo simulations in arbitrary ensembles and direct calculation of free energies. We present results for the phase diagram and the critical point of a binary homopolymer blend. For a symmetric diblock copolymer, we compute the distribution of local stress in lamellae and locate the order-disorder transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- François A Detcheverry
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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34
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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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35
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Song J, Shi T, Li Y, Chen J, An L. Rigidity effect on phase behavior of symmetric ABA triblock copolymers: A Monte Carlo simulation. J Chem Phys 2008; 129:054906. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2957463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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36
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Wołoszczuk S, Banaszak M, Knychała P, Radosz M. Monte Carlo Phase Diagram of Symmetric Diblock Copolymer in Selective Solvent. Macromolecules 2008. [DOI: 10.1021/ma0718346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Wołoszczuk
- Institute of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland, and Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3295
| | - M. Banaszak
- Institute of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland, and Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3295
| | - P. Knychała
- Institute of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland, and Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3295
| | - M. Radosz
- Institute of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, ul. Umultowska 85, 61-614 Poznan, Poland, and Soft Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3295
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37
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Titievsky K, Rutledge GC. Mixtures of interacting particles with well-defined composition field coupling χ parameters. J Chem Phys 2008; 128:124902. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2837651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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38
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Wang Z, Li B, Jin Q, Ding D, Shi AC. Simulated Annealing Study of Self-Assembly of Symmetric ABA Triblock Copolymers Confined in Cylindrical Nanopores. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2008. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.200700069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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39
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Müller M, Daoulas KC. Calculating the free energy of self-assembled structures by thermodynamic integration. J Chem Phys 2008; 128:024903. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2818565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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40
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Song J, Li Y, Huang Q, Shi T, An L. Monte Carlo simulation on symmetric ABA/AB copolymer blends in confined thin films. J Chem Phys 2007; 127:094903. [PMID: 17824761 DOI: 10.1063/1.2764071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of blend composition on morphology, order-disorder transition (ODT), and chain conformation of symmetric ABA/AB copolymer blends confined between two neutral hard walls have been investigated by lattice Monte Carlo simulation. Only lamellar structure is observed in all the simulation morphologies under thermodynamic equilibrium state, which is supported by theoretical prediction. When the composition of AB diblock copolymer (phi) increases, both lamellar spacing and the corresponding ODT temperature increase, which can be attributed to the variation of conformation distribution of the diblock and the triblock copolymer chains. In addition, both diblock and triblock copolymer, chains with bridge conformation extend dramatically in the direction parallel to the surface when the system is in ordered state. Finally, the copolymer chain conformation depends strongly on both the blend composition and the incompatibility parameter chiN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, Peoples' Republic of China
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41
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Alexander-Katz A, Fredrickson GH. Diblock Copolymer Thin Films: A Field-Theoretic Simulation Study. Macromolecules 2007. [DOI: 10.1021/ma070005h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Physics Department, Technical University of Munich, D-80538, Garching, Germany, and Department of Physics, Department of Chemical Engineering, and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | - Glenn H. Fredrickson
- Physics Department, Technical University of Munich, D-80538, Garching, Germany, and Department of Physics, Department of Chemical Engineering, and Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
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42
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Daoulas KC, Müller M. Single chain in mean field simulations: Quasi-instantaneous field approximation and quantitative comparison with Monte Carlo simulations. J Chem Phys 2006; 125:184904. [PMID: 17115792 DOI: 10.1063/1.2364506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The description of fluctuations by single chain in mean field (SCMF) simulations is discussed and the results of this particle-based self-consistent field technique are quantitatively compared to Monte Carlo simulations of the same discretized Edwards-Hamiltonian providing exact reference data. In SCMF simulations one studies a large ensemble of noninteracting molecules subjected to real, external fields by Monte Carlo simulations. The external fields approximate nonbonded, instantaneous interactions between molecules. In the self-consistent mean field theory the external fields are static and fluctuation effects are ignored. In SCMF simulations, the external fields fluctuate since they are frequently recalculated from the instantaneous density distribution of the ensemble of molecules. In the limit of infinitely high density or instantaneous update of the external fields, the SCMF simulation method accurately describes long-wavelength fluctuations. At high but finite updating frequency the accuracy depends on the discretization of the model. The accuracy is illustrated by studying the single chain structure and intermolecular correlations in polymer melts, and fluctuation effects on the order-disorder transition of symmetric diblock copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Ch Daoulas
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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43
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Daoulas KC, Müller M, de Pablo JJ, Nealey PF, Smith GD. Morphology of multi-component polymer systems: single chain in mean field simulation studies. SOFT MATTER 2006; 2:573-583. [PMID: 32680236 DOI: 10.1039/b602610a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent work exploring phase separation and self-assembly in multicomponent polymer fluids using a particle-based self-consistent field simulation method is reviewed. The computational method is placed in the context of classical molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations as well as field-theoretic approaches. Its potential is illustrated by applications ranging from spinodal decomposition in symmetric polymer blends and the ordering of diblock copolymers in the bulk to more complex phenomena such as solvent evaporation from thin polymer films and the fabrication of three-dimensional bicontinuous diblock copolymer morphologies reconstruction on patterned substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Ch Daoulas
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August Universität, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1691, USA
| | - Paul F Nealey
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1691, USA
| | - Grant D Smith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 122 S. Central Campus Dr., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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44
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Matsen MW, Griffiths GH, Wickham RA, Vassiliev ON. Monte Carlo phase diagram for diblock copolymer melts. J Chem Phys 2006; 124:024904. [PMID: 16422645 DOI: 10.1063/1.2140286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A partial phase diagram is constructed for diblock copolymer melts using lattice-based Monte Carlo simulations. This is done by locating the order-disorder transition (ODT) with the aid of a recently proposed order parameter and identifying the ordered phase over a wide range of copolymer compositions (0.2<or=f<or=0.8). Consistent with experiments, the disordered phase is found to exhibit direct first-order transitions to each of the ordered morphologies. This includes the spontaneous formation of a perforated-lamellar phase, which presumably forms in place of the gyroid morphology due to finite-size and/or nonequilibrium effects. Also included in our study is a detailed examination of disordered cylinder-forming (f=0.3) diblock copolymers, revealing a substantial degree of pretransitional chain stretching and short-range order that set in well before the ODT, as observed previously in analogous studies on lamellar-forming (f=0.5) molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Matsen
- Department of Physics, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AF, United Kingdom.
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45
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Nie Z, Su Z, Sun Z, Shi T, An L. Conformational Study on Thin Films of Symmetric AnB2nAn Triblock Copolymer. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2005. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.200500042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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46
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Martínez-Veracoechea FJ, Escobedo FA. Lattice Monte Carlo Simulations of the Gyroid Phase in Monodisperse and Bidisperse Block Copolymer Systems. Macromolecules 2005. [DOI: 10.1021/ma051214+] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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47
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Donley JP. Liquids in equilibrium: beyond the hypernetted chain. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2005; 16:273-282. [PMID: 15685437 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2004-10084-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2004] [Accepted: 12/23/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Density functional techniques are used to derive a charging expression for the non-uniform density of a molecular liquid. In the atomic limit the equation reduces to an exact form due to Fixman. The theory is simplified greatly via a physical approximation that accounts for three-body correlations beyond those included in the hypernetted chain (HNC) closure of the Ornstein-Zernike (OZ) equation. The radial distribution function is obtained as a special case. The theory is tested by examining the phase behavior of two fundamental complex fluids: the homopolymer blend and diblock copolymer melts. For the former it is found, contrary to HNC theory and its molecular generalizations, that a critical temperature Tc is predicted from the structure route. This To scales linearly with degree of polymerization N in agreement with Flory theory. The simplest form of the theory can be considered as a way to incorporate attractive interactions within a formalism that is very similar to that of the OZ or reference interaction site model (RISM). The relevance of the theory to charged liquids is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Donley
- The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA.
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48
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Yang J, Winnik MA, Pakula T. Interface Orientation and Chain Conformation in Simulated Symmetric Diblock Copolymer Lamellar Systems. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2005. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.200400073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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49
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Wu L, Cochran EW, Lodge TP, Bates FS. Consequences of Block Number on the Order−Disorder Transition and Viscoelastic Properties of Linear (AB)n Multiblock Copolymers. Macromolecules 2004. [DOI: 10.1021/ma035583m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lifeng Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Eric W. Cochran
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Timothy P. Lodge
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
| | - Frank S. Bates
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
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50
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Düchs D, Schmid F. Formation and structure of the microemulsion phase in two-dimensional ternary AB+A+B polymeric emulsions. J Chem Phys 2004; 121:2798-805. [PMID: 15281884 DOI: 10.1063/1.1768152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an analysis of the structure of the fluctuation-induced microemulsion phase in a ternary blend of balanced AB diblock copolymers with equal amounts of A and B homopolymers. To this end, graphical analysis methods are employed to characterize two-dimensional configuration snapshots obtained with the recently introduced field-theoretic Monte Carlo method. We find that a microemulsion forms when the mean curvature diameter of the lamellar phase coincides roughly with the periodicity of the lamellar phase. Further, we provide evidence to the effect of a subclassification of the microemulsion into a genuine and a defect-driven region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Düchs
- Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Universitatsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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