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Sun Z, Liu R, Su T, Huang H, Kawamoto K, Liang R, Liu B, Zhong M, Alexander-Katz A, Ross CA, Johnson JA. Emergence of layered nanoscale mesh networks through intrinsic molecular confinement self-assembly. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 18:273-280. [PMID: 36624206 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01293-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymer self-assembly is a powerful tool for two-dimensional nanofabrication; however, the extension of this self-assembly concept to complex three-dimensional network structures is limited. Here we report a simple method to experimentally generate three-dimensional layered mesh morphologies through intrinsic molecular confinement self-assembly. We designed triblock bottlebrush polymers with two Janus domains: one perpendicular and one parallel to the polymer backbone. The former enforces a lamellar superstructure that intrinsically confines the intralayer self-assembly of the latter, giving rise to a mesh-like monoclinic (54°) M15 network substructure with excellent long-range order, as well as a tetragonal (90°) T131 mesh. Numerical simulations show that the spatial constraints exerted on the polymer backbone drive the assembly of M15 and yield T131 in the strong segregation regime. This work demonstrates that intrinsic molecular confinement is a viable path to bottom-up assembly of new geometrical phases of soft matter, extending the capabilities of block copolymer nanofabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Runze Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tingyu Su
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hejin Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ken Kawamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruiqi Liang
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mingjiang Zhong
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caroline A Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Jeremiah A Johnson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Gavrilov AA. Effect of the counterion size on microphase separation in charged-neutral diblock copolymers. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:054901. [PMID: 36754807 DOI: 10.1063/5.0134164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, the question of the influence of the counterion size on the self-assembly in melts of diblock copolymers with one charged block was studied using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. It was assumed that the blocks were fully compatible, i.e., the Flory-Huggins parameter χ between them was equal to 0. Due to the presence of correlation attraction (electrostatic cohesion) between the charged species, the systems with all types of counterions underwent transitions to ordered states, forming various morphologies, including lamellae, perforated lamellae, and hexagonally packed cylinders. Phase diagrams were constructed by varying the chain composition fc and locating the order-disorder transition positions in terms of the electrostatic strength parameter λ (dimensionless Bjerrum length). Despite having a rather large ion size mismatch, the systems with smaller counterions demonstrated an even better tendency to form microphase separated states than the systems with larger ones. It was found that the differences between the phase diagrams of the systems with different counterions can be roughly rationalized by using coordinates (volume fraction of the charged block φc-modified interaction parameter λ*). The latter parameter assumes that the electrostatic energy is simply inversely proportional to the characteristic distance between the ions of different signs. Such an approach appeared to be rather effective and allowed the diagrams obtained for different counterion sizes to almost coincide. The results of this work suggest that the counterion size can be used as a tool to control the system morphology as well as the effective incompatibility between the blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey A Gavrilov
- Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia and A.N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences (INEOS RAS), 119991 Moscow, Russia
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3
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Liu R, Sun Z, Huang H, Johnson JA, Alexander-Katz A, Ross CA. Experimental and Computational Evaluation of Self-Assembled Morphologies in Diblock Janus Bottlebrush Copolymers. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:177-182. [PMID: 36548278 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Diblock Janus-type "A-branch-B" bottlebrush copolymers (di-JBBCPs) consist of a backbone with alternating A and B side chains, in contrast to the side chain arrangement of conventional bottlebrush copolymers. As a result, A and B blocks of di-JBBCPs can microphase-separate perpendicular to the backbone, which is located at the interface between the two blocks. A reparametrized dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) model is used to theoretically investigate the self-assembly of di-JBBCPs and to compare with the experimental results of a range of polystyrene-branch-polydimethylsiloxane di-JBBCPs. The experimentally formed cylinder, gyroid, and lamellar morphologies showed good correspondence with the model phase diagram, and the effect of changing volume fraction and backbone length is revealed. The DPD model predicts a bulk-stable perforated lamella morphology together with two unconventional spherical phases, the Frank-Kasper A15 spheres and the hexagonally close-packed spheres, indicating the diversity of morphologies available from complex BCP molecular architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Zehao Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hejin Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jeremiah A Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Caroline A Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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4
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Sahu S, Schwindt NS, Coscia BJ, Shirts MR. Obtaining and Characterizing Stable Bicontinuous Cubic Morphologies and Their Nanochannels in Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:10098-10110. [PMID: 36417348 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Amphiphilic monomers in polar solvents can self-assemble into lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) bicontinuous cubic structures under the right composition and temperature conditions. After cross-linking, the resulting polymer membranes with three-dimensional (3D) continuous uniform channels are excellent candidates for filtration applications. Designing such membranes with the desired physical and chemical properties requires molecular-level understanding of the structure, which can be obtained through molecular modeling. However, building molecular models of bicontinuous cubic structures is challenging due to their narrow regime of stability and the difficulty of self-assembly of large unit cells in molecular simulations. We developed a protocol for building stable bicontinuous cubic unit cells involving both parameterization and assembly of the components. We validate the theoretical structure against experimental results for one such LLC monomer and provide insight into the structure missing in experimental data, as well as demonstrate the qualitative nature of water and solute transport through these membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subin Sahu
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Nathanael S Schwindt
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Benjamin J Coscia
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Michael R Shirts
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
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5
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Feng Y, Li B, Wang Q. Finding the bulk periodicity of lamellar and cylindrical structures using the pressure tensor. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4923-4929. [PMID: 35726792 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00294a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for nearly thirty years that in all molecular simulations of periodic ordered morphologies (such as those formed by block copolymers), when the periodic boundary conditions of the simulation box do not match the bulk periodicity L0 of the morphology, they change the structure and even the stability of the morphologies obtained in the simulations. Few studies, however, have focused on finding L0 in simulations. Taking dissipative particle dynamics simulations of asymmetric diblock copolymer melts as an example, we found a simple way of using the pressure tensor, which can be readily calculated in molecular simulations in the continuum, to find L0 of lamellae and (regular-hexagonally packed) cylinders regardless of their orientation in (cuboid) simulation boxes. Variation of the diagonal and off-diagonal elements of the pressure tensor with the orientation of lamellae and cylinders in the box is explained by coordinate system rotation and confirmed by our simulation results. We also showed that the pressure tensor cannot be used to find L0 of 3D periodic ordered structures with a cubic symmetry such as the double gyroid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Feng
- School of Physics, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Baohui Li
- School of Physics, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, 1370 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1370, USA.
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6
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Shen Z, Luo K, Park SJ, Li D, Mahanthappa MK, Bates FS, Dorfman KD, Lodge TP, Siepmann JI. Stabilizing a Double Gyroid Network Phase with 2 nm Feature Size by Blending of Lamellar and Cylindrical Forming Block Oligomers. JACS AU 2022; 2:1405-1416. [PMID: 35783180 PMCID: PMC9241014 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study binary blends of an AB-type diblock and an AB2-type miktoarm triblock amphiphiles (also known as high-χ block oligomers) consisting of sugar-based (A) and hydrocarbon (B) blocks. In their pure form, the AB diblock and AB2 triblock amphiphiles self-assemble into ordered lamellar (LAM) and cylindrical (CYL) structures, respectively. At intermediate compositions, however, the AB2-rich blend (0.2 ≤ x AB ≤ 0.4) forms a double gyroid (DG) network, whereas perforated lamellae (PL) are observed in the AB-rich blend (0.5 ≤ x AB ≤ 0.8). All of the ordered mesophases present domain pitches under 3 nm, with 1 nm feature sizes for the polar domains. Structural analyses reveal that the nonuniform interfacial curvatures of DG and PL structures are supported by local composition variations of the LAM- and CYL-forming amphiphiles. Self-consistent mean field theory calculations for blends of related AB and AB2 block polymers also show the DG network at intermediate compositions, when A is the minority block, but PL is not stable. This work provides molecular-level insights into how blending of shape-filling molecular architectures enables network phase formation with extremely small feature sizes over a wide composition range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyuan Shen
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
- Chemical
Theory Center, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - Ke Luo
- Chemical
Theory Center, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - So Jung Park
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
| | - Daoyuan Li
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
- Chemical
Theory Center, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - Mahesh K. Mahanthappa
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
| | - Frank S. Bates
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
| | - Kevin D. Dorfman
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
| | - Timothy P. Lodge
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - J. Ilja Siepmann
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0132, United States
- Chemical
Theory Center, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
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7
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Feng Y, Wu J, Li B, Wang Q. Periodicity and global order parameter of hexagonally packed cylinders in a periodic box. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:2750-2756. [PMID: 35311877 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00082b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In all molecular simulations of periodic ordered morphologies (such as those formed by block copolymers), the periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) of the simulation box usually do not match the bulk periodicity L0 of the morphology, thus changing the structure and even the stability of the morphologies obtained in the simulations. To address this problem for hexagonally packed cylinders, we first proposed a general method of calculating the periodicity of such cylinders in a cuboid simulation box with the PBCs applied in all directions, which further allows one to enumerate all possible orientations and periodicities of such cylinders within an estimated range that can fit into a cuboid box of given lengths. We then showed how to choose the lengths of a cuboid box such that regular-hexagonally packed (RHP) cylinders with given intercylinder distance and orientation can fit into the box. Next, taking as an example the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations of a cylinder-forming diblock copolymer melt, we showed that L0 of RHP cylinders oriented along the body diagonal of a cubic box is found when all the off-diagonal elements of the pressure tensor vanish. Finally, based on our general method of calculating the periodicity of hexagonally packed cylinders, we designed a global order parameter for such cylinders, which takes into account their ordering only for the orientations that can fit into the simulation box. Using again the DPD simulations, we showed that our global order parameter can be used to quantify the formation of hexagonally packed cylinders in each collected configuration and to monitor their orientation (thus periodicity) during the simulation run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Feng
- School of Physics, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Jiaping Wu
- School of Physics, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Baohui Li
- School of Physics, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Rd., Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, 1370 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1370, USA.
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8
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Mukhtyar AJ, Escobedo FA. Computing free energy barriers for the nucleation of complex network mesophases. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:034502. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0079396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ankita J. Mukhtyar
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Fernando A. Escobedo
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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9
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Glagolev MK, Glagoleva AA, Vasilevskaya VV. Microphase separation in helix-coil block copolymer melts: computer simulation. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:8331-8342. [PMID: 34550153 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00759a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
By means of molecular dynamics simulation, the process of the microphase separation in the melts of diblock helix-coil copolymers comprising a flexible and a helical block was studied. The resulting microstructures were examined, and the spatial distribution of the blocks and molecular packing were investigated. The phase diagram was built in terms of the fraction of the helical block and the incompatibility parameter of the blocks. The comparison of the diagrams for helix-coil and the classic coil-coil copolymer blends was carried out. It was shown that the total region where the ordering into distinctive microstructures takes place is similar for both diagrams. But for the helix-coil copolymers the area of the cylinders splits into the region of those with circular and elliptical cross-sections; the bicontinuous phase area is much wider; in the lamellar phases, the helical blocks were oriented precisely perpendicular to the lamellar interface, forming a cohesive interlocked structure of densely packed helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Glagolev
- A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova ul. 28, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - A A Glagoleva
- A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova ul. 28, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - V V Vasilevskaya
- A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova ul. 28, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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10
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Yu B, Li R, Segalman RA. Tuning the Double Gyroid Phase Window in Block Copolymers via Polymer Chain Conformation Near the Interface. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beihang Yu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Rachel A. Segalman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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11
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Beránek P, Posocco P, Posel Z. Phase Behavior of Gradient Copolymer Melts with Different Gradient Strengths Revealed by Mesoscale Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2462. [PMID: 33114271 PMCID: PMC7690882 DOI: 10.3390/polym12112462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Design and preparation of functional nanomaterials with specific properties requires precise control over their microscopic structure. A prototypical example is the self-assembly of diblock copolymers, which generate highly ordered structures controlled by three parameters: the chemical incompatibility between blocks, block size ratio and chain length. Recent advances in polymer synthesis have allowed for the preparation of gradient copolymers with controlled sequence chemistry, thus providing additional parameters to tailor their assembly. These are polydisperse monomer sequence, block size distribution and gradient strength. Here, we employ dissipative particle dynamics to describe the self-assembly of gradient copolymer melts with strong, intermediate, and weak gradient strength and compare their phase behavior to that of corresponding diblock copolymers. Gradient melts behave similarly when copolymers with a strong gradient are considered. Decreasing the gradient strength leads to the widening of the gyroid phase window, at the expense of cylindrical domains, and a remarkable extension of the lamellar phase. Finally, we show that weak gradient strength enhances chain packing in gyroid structures much more than in lamellar and cylindrical morphologies. Importantly, this work also provides a link between gradient copolymers morphology and parameters such as chemical incompatibility, chain length and monomer sequence as support for the rational design of these nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Beránek
- Department of Informatics, Faculty of Science, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, 40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;
| | - Paola Posocco
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Zbyšek Posel
- Department of Informatics, Faculty of Science, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, 40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
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12
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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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13
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Lemos T, Abreu C, Pinto JC. DPD Simulations of Homopolymer–Copolymer–Homopolymer Mixtures: Effects of Copolymer Structure and Concentration. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.202000014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Lemos
- Programa de Engenharia Química da COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro 68542 Brazil
| | - Charlles Abreu
- Escola de QuímicaUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro 68542 Brazil
| | - José Carlos Pinto
- Programa de Engenharia Química da COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro 68542 Brazil
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14
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Goodson AD, Troxler JE, Rick MS, Ashbaugh HS, Albert JNL. Impact of Cyclic Block Copolymer Chain Architecture and Degree of Polymerization on Nanoscale Domain Spacing: A Simulation and Scaling Theory Analysis. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy D. Goodson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Jessie E. Troxler
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Maxwell S. Rick
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Henry S. Ashbaugh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Julie N. L. Albert
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
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15
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Lemos T, Abreu C, Pinto JC. Mesoscopic Simulation of Dispersed Copolymers: Effects of Chain Length, Chemical Composition, and Block Length Distributions on Self‐Assembly. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.201900042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Lemos
- Programa de Engenharia Química/COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro CP 69502 Brazil
- Cidade Universitária Rio de Janeiro RJ 21941‐972 Brazil
| | - Charlles Abreu
- Escola de QuímicaUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, Bloco E Brazil
- Cidade Universitária Rio de Janeiro RJ 21941‐909 Brazil
| | - José Carlos Pinto
- Programa de Engenharia Química/COPPEUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro CP 69502 Brazil
- Cidade Universitária Rio de Janeiro RJ 21941‐972 Brazil
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16
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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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17
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Alshammasi MS, Escobedo FA. Correlation between morphology and anisotropic transport properties of diblock copolymers melts. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:851-859. [PMID: 30548034 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02095g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular simulations of coarse-grained diblock copolymers (DBP) were conducted to study the effect of segregation strength and morphology on transport properties. It was found that in the strong segregation limit (i.e., high χN, where χ is the Flory-Huggins parameter and N is the degree of polymerization), the presence of the DBP interfaces imposes topological constraints similar to those of entanglements as manifested in the rheological signature of the polymer (i.e., a plateau modulus). Furthermore, compared to the behavior of isotropic melts, the crossover from Rouse to reptation scaling of the self-diffusion coefficient (D) parallel to the DBP interface takes place at a smaller N, an effect that depends on temperature and is more pronounced in the Lamellae morphology than in the hexagonal cylinder morphology. Additionally, it is shown that for an entangled melt (i.e., N ≫ Ne where Ne is the entanglement length) block retraction is instrumental for chains to diffuse parallel to the interface of lamellar layers. Lastly, it is found that the anisotropic viscosity of different morphologies is mostly affected by the orientation of the chains relative to the shear flow direction, exhibiting reduced values when chains align in the neutral or flow directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Suliman Alshammasi
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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18
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19
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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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20
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Mukhtyar AJ, Escobedo FA. Developing Local Order Parameters for Order–Disorder Transitions From Particles to Block Copolymers: Application to Macromolecular Systems. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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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21
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Shen KH, Brown JR, Hall LM. Diffusion in Lamellae, Cylinders, and Double Gyroid Block Copolymer Nanostructures. ACS Macro Lett 2018; 7:1092-1098. [PMID: 35632941 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We study transport of penetrants through nanoscale morphologies motivated by common block copolymer morphologies, using confined random walks and coarse-grained simulations. Diffusion through randomly oriented grains is 1/3 for cylinder and 2/3 for lamellar morphologies versus an unconstrained (homopolymer) system, as previously understood. Diffusion in the double gyroid structure depends on the volume fraction and is 0.47-0.55 through the minority phase at 30-50 vol % and 0.73-0.80 through the majority at 50-70 vol %. Thus, among randomly oriented standard minority phase structures with no grain boundary effects, lamellae is preferable for transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Hsuan Shen
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Brown
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Lisa M. Hall
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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22
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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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23
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Modi A, Karim A, Tsige M. Solvent and Substrate Induced Synergistic Ordering in Block Copolymer Thin Films. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Modi
- College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Alamgir Karim
- College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Mesfin Tsige
- College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
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24
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Osipov MA, Gorkunov MV, Berezkin AV, Kudryavtsev YV. Phase behavior and orientational ordering in block copolymers doped with anisotropic nanoparticles. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:042706. [PMID: 29758762 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.042706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A molecular field theory and coarse-grained computer simulations with dissipative particle dynamics have been used to study the spontaneous orientational ordering of anisotropic nanoparticles in the lamellar and hexagonal phases of diblock copolymers and the effect of nanoparticles on the phase behavior of these systems. Both the molecular theory and computer simulations indicate that strongly anisotropic nanoparticles are ordered orientationally mainly in the boundary region between the domains and the nematic order parameter possesses opposite signs in adjacent domains. The orientational order is induced by the boundary and by the interaction between nanoparticles and the monomer units in different domains. In simulations, sufficiently long and strongly selective nanoparticles are ordered also inside the domains. The nematic order parameter and local concentration profiles of nanoparticles have been calculated numerically using the model of a nanoparticle with two interaction centers and also determined using the results of computer simulations. A number of phase diagrams have been obtained which illustrate the effect of nanoparticle selectivity and molar fraction of the stability ranges of various phases. Different morphologies have been identified by analyzing the static structure factor and a phase diagram has been constructed in coordinates' nanoparticle concentration-copolymer composition. Orientational ordering of even a small fraction of nanoparticles may result in a significant increase of the dielectric anisotropy of a polymer nanocomposite, which is important for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Osipov
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XH, Scotland, United Kingdom.,Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - M V Gorkunov
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Berezkin
- Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Y V Kudryavtsev
- Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia.,Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
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25
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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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26
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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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27
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Jiao GS, Li Y, Qian HJ, Liu J, Lu ZY. Disperse cyclic diblock copolymer: another promising candidate for fabricating irregular bicontinuous structure. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2017.1350784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Sheng Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yue Li
- Key Laboratory of Rubber-plastics, Ministry of Education/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-plastics, School of Polymer Science & Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Hu-Jun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), Mianyang, China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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28
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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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29
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Nowak C, Escobedo FA. Tuning the Sawtooth Tensile Response and Toughness of Multiblock Copolymer Diamond Networks. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b00733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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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30
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Jiao GS, Li Y, Qian HJ, Lu ZY. Computer simulation study of polydispersity effect on the phase behavior of short diblock copolymers. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.04.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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31
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Brown JR, Seo Y, Maula TAD, Hall LM. Fluids density functional theory and initializing molecular dynamics simulations of block copolymers. J Chem Phys 2016; 144:124904. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4943982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. Brown
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Youngmi Seo
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Tiara Ann D. Maula
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Lisa M. Hall
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W. Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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32
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Seo Y, Brown JR, Hall LM. Effect of Tapering on Morphology and Interfacial Behavior of Diblock Copolymers from Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/ma502309h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Youngmi Seo
- William G. Lowrie Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jonathan R. Brown
- William G. Lowrie Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Lisa M. Hall
- William G. Lowrie Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 151 W Woodruff Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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33
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Chakraborty S, Roy S. Structure of Nanorod Assembly in the Gyroid Phase of Diblock Copolymer. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:6803-12. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b01338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Chakraborty
- Physical Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Sudip Roy
- Physical Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
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34
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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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35
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Škvor J, Posel Z. Simulation Aspects of Lamellar Morphology: Incommensurability Effect. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.201400079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Škvor
- Department of Informatics; Faculty of Science; J. E. Purkinje University in Ústí nad Labem; 400 96 Ústí n. L. Czech Republic
| | - Zbyšek Posel
- Department of Informatics; Faculty of Science; J. E. Purkinje University in Ústí nad Labem; 400 96 Ústí n. L. Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Physics of Aerosols; Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the ASCR; v. v. i., 165 02 Prague 6-Suchdol Czech Republic
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36
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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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37
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Gross C, Paul W. Modeling diblock copolymer melts with a soft quadrumer model: Bulk behavior and directed self-assembly. POLYMER SCIENCE SERIES C 2013. [DOI: 10.1134/s1811238213050019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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38
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Shi LY, Zhou Y, Fan XH, Shen Z. Remarkably Rich Variety of Nanostructures and Order–Order Transitions in a Rod–Coil Diblock Copolymer. Macromolecules 2013. [DOI: 10.1021/ma400944z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shi
- Beijing National
Laboratory for Molecular Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education,
College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Beijing National
Laboratory for Molecular Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education,
College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xing-He Fan
- Beijing National
Laboratory for Molecular Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education,
College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhihao Shen
- Beijing National
Laboratory for Molecular Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education,
College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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39
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Sandhu P, Zong J, Yang D, Wang Q. On the comparisons between dissipative particle dynamics simulations and self-consistent field calculations of diblock copolymer microphase separation. J Chem Phys 2013; 138:194904. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4804608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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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Muccioli L, D’Avino G, Berardi R, Orlandi S, Pizzirusso A, Ricci M, Roscioni OM, Zannoni C. Supramolecular Organization of Functional Organic Materials in the Bulk and at Organic/Organic Interfaces: A Modeling and Computer Simulation Approach. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2013; 352:39-101. [DOI: 10.1007/128_2013_470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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41
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Yang Z, Xin-Ping L, Qing-Xuan Z. Simulation study of the morphologies of energetic block copolymers based on glycidyl azide polymer. J Appl Polym Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/app.38482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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42
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Mondal J, Mahanthappa M, Yethiraj A. Self-Assembly of Gemini Surfactants: A Computer Simulation Study. J Phys Chem B 2012; 117:4254-62. [DOI: 10.1021/jp304933k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jagannath Mondal
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin,
Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Mahesh Mahanthappa
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin,
Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Arun Yethiraj
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin,
Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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43
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Padmanabhan P, Martinez-Veracoechea FJ, Araque JC, Escobedo FA. A theoretical and simulation study of the self-assembly of a binary blend of diblock copolymers. J Chem Phys 2012; 136:234905. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4729159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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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44
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Berardi R, Lintuvuori JS, Wilson MR, Zannoni C. Phase diagram of the uniaxial and biaxial soft–core Gay–Berne model. J Chem Phys 2011; 135:134119. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3646310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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45
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Araque JC, Panagiotopoulos AZ, Robert MA. Lattice model of oligonucleotide hybridization in solution. I. Model and thermodynamics. J Chem Phys 2011; 134:165103. [PMID: 21528982 DOI: 10.1063/1.3568145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
A coarse-grained lattice model of DNA oligonucleotides is proposed to investigate the general mechanisms by which single-stranded oligonucleotides hybridize to their complementary strands in solution. The model, based on a high-coordination cubic lattice, is simple enough to allow the direct simulation of DNA solutions, yet capturing how the fundamental thermodynamic processes are microscopically encoded in the nucleobase sequences. Physically relevant interactions are considered explicitly, such as interchain excluded volume, anisotropic base-pairing and base-stacking, and single-stranded bending rigidity. The model is studied in detail by a specially adapted Monte Carlo simulation method, based on parallel tempering and biased trials, which is designed to overcome the entropic and enthalpic barriers associated with the sampling of hybridization events of multiple single-stranded chains in solution. This methodology addresses both the configurational complexity of bringing together two complementary strands in a favorable orientation (entropic barrier) and the energetic penalty of breaking apart multiple associated bases in a double-stranded state (enthalpic barrier). For strands with sequences restricted to nonstaggering association and homogeneous pairing and stacking energies, base-pairing is found to dominate the hybridization over the translational and conformational entropy. For strands with sequence-dependent pairing corresponding to that of DNA, the complex dependence of the model's thermal stability on concentration, sequence, and degree of complementarity is shown to be qualitatively and quantitatively consistent both with experiment and with the predictions of statistical mechanical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Araque
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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46
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Martinez-Veracoechea FJ, Mladek BM, Tkachenko AV, Frenkel D. Design rule for colloidal crystals of DNA-functionalized particles. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 107:045902. [PMID: 21867023 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.045902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We report a Monte Carlo simulation study of the phase behavior of colloids coated with long, flexible DNA chains. We find that an important change occurs in the phase diagram when the number of DNAs per colloid is decreased below a critical value. In this case, the triple point disappears and the condensed phase that coexists with the vapor is always liquid. Our simulations thus explain why, in the dilute solutions typically used in experiments, colloids coated with a small number of DNA strands cannot crystallize. We understand this behavior in terms of the discrete nature of DNA binding.
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Self-assembly of diblock copolymers under shear flow: A simulation study by combining the self-consistent field and lattice Boltzmann method. Chem Phys 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphys.2011.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Capone B, Coluzza I, Hansen JP. A systematic coarse-graining strategy for semi-dilute copolymer solutions: from monomers to micelles. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2011; 23:194102. [PMID: 21525560 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/19/194102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A systematic coarse-graining procedure is proposed for the description and simulation of AB diblock copolymers in selective solvents. Each block is represented by a small number, n(A) or n(B), of effective segments or blobs, containing a large number of microscopic monomers. n(A) and n(B) are unequivocally determined by imposing that blobs do not, on average, overlap, even if complete copolymer coils interpenetrate (semi-dilute regime). Ultra-soft effective interactions between blobs are determined by a rigorous inversion procedure in the low concentration limit. The methodology is applied to an athermal copolymer model where A blocks are ideal (theta solvent), B blocks self-avoiding (good solvent), while A and B blocks are mutually avoiding. The model leads to aggregation into polydisperse spherical micelles beyond a critical micellar concentration determined by Monte Carlo simulations for several size ratios f of the two blocks. The simulations also provide accurate estimates of the osmotic pressure and of the free energy of the copolymer solutions over a wide range of concentrations. The mean micellar aggregation numbers are found to be significantly lower than those predicted by an earlier, minimal two-blob representation (Capone et al 2009 J. Phys. Chem. B 113 3629).
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Capone
- Computational Physics, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
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Xiao X, Huang Y, Feng J, Liu H, Hu Y. Microphase Separation of a Diblock Copolymer Dispersed in Nanorod Arrays Grafted on a Plate: A Monte Carlo Study. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.201000064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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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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