1
|
Pula P, Leniart A, Majewski PW. Solvent-assisted self-assembly of block copolymer thin films. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4042-4066. [PMID: 35608282 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00439a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Solvent-assisted block copolymer self-assembly is a compelling method for processing and advancing practical applications of these materials due to the exceptional level of the control of BCP morphology and significant acceleration of ordering kinetics. Despite substantial experimental and theoretical efforts devoted to understanding of solvent-assisted BCP film ordering, the development of a universal BCP patterning protocol remains elusive; possibly due to a multitude of factors which dictate the self-assembly scenario. The aim of this review is to aggregate both seminal reports and the latest progress in solvent-assisted directed self-assembly and to provide the reader with theoretical background, including the outline of BCP ordering thermodynamics and kinetics phenomena. We also indicate significant BCP research areas and emerging high-tech applications where solvent-assisted processing might play a dominant role.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Przemyslaw Pula
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
| | - Arkadiusz Leniart
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
| | - Pawel W Majewski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Prado RMB, Mishra S, Ahmad H, Burghardt WR, Kundu S. Capturing the Transient Microstructure of a Physically Assembled Gel Subjected to Temperature and Large Deformation. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Maria Badani Prado
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Satish Mishra
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Humayun Ahmad
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| | - Wesley R. Burghardt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Santanu Kundu
- Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
The Influence of Annealing Atmosphere, Blending Ratio, and Molecular Weight on the Phase Behavior of Blend Materials. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9091586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the study of block copolymers, many parameters need to be adjusted to obtain good phase separation results. Based on block copolymer polystyrene-b-polycarbonate and homopolymer polystyrene, the effects of the annealing atmosphere, blending ratio, and molecular weight on phase separation were studied. The results show that annealing in air can inhibit the occurrence of phase separation. In addition, snowflake patterns are formed during phase separation. The blending ratio affects the quality of the pattern. The molecular weight affects the size of the pattern, and the size increases as the molecular weight increases. In this article, the influence of process conditions and materials on phase separation was discussed, which has laid a solid foundation for the development of block copolymer self-assembly in the future.
Collapse
|
4
|
Singh M, Apata IE, Samant S, Wu W, Tawade BV, Pradhan N, Raghavan D, Karim A. Nanoscale Strategies to Enhance the Energy Storage Capacity of Polymeric Dielectric Capacitors: Review of Recent Advances. POLYM REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15583724.2021.1917609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maninderjeet Singh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX
| | | | - Saumil Samant
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH
| | - Wenjie Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX
| | | | - Nihar Pradhan
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Science, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
| | | | - Alamgir Karim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lee C, Ndaya D, Bosire R, Gabinet UR, Sun J, Gopalan P, Kasi RM, Osuji CO. Effects of Labile Mesogens on the Morphology of Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymers in Thin Films. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Changyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Dennis Ndaya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Reuben Bosire
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Uri R. Gabinet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Padma Gopalan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Rajeswari M. Kasi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Huang GR, Carrillo JM, Wang Y, Do C, Porcar L, Sumpter B, Chen WR. An exact inversion method for extracting orientation ordering by small-angle scattering. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:4120-4132. [PMID: 33592085 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05886f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We outline a nonparametric inversion strategy for determining the orientation distribution function (ODF) of sheared interacting rods using small-angle scattering techniques. With the presence of direct inter-rod interaction and fluid mechanical forces, the scattering spectra are no longer characterized by the azimuthal symmetry in the coordinates defined by the principal directions of simple shear conditions, which severely compounds the reconstruction of ODFs based on currently available methods developed for dilute systems. Using a real spherical harmonic expansion scheme, the real-space ODFs are uniquely determined from the anisotropic scattering spectra and their numerical accuracy is verified computationally. Our method can be generalized to extract ODFs of uniaxially anisotropic objects under different flow conditions in a properly transformed reference frame with suitable basis vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Rong Huang
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Jan Michael Carrillo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Yangyang Wang
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Changwoo Do
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Lionel Porcar
- Institut Laue-Langevin, B. P. 156, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Bobby Sumpter
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Wei-Ren Chen
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Tu TH, Sakurai T, Seki S, Ishida Y, Chan YT. Towards Macroscopically Anisotropic Functionality: Oriented Metallo-supramolecular Polymeric Materials Induced by Magnetic Fields. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:1923-1928. [PMID: 33051951 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202012284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Based on the predesigned self-selective complexation, metallo-supramolecular P3HT-b-PEO diblock copolymers with varying block ratios were synthesized, and their oriented polymer films generated during solvent evaporation in a 9 T magnetic field were investigated. An anisotropic, ordered layer structure was achieved using [P3HT20 -Zn-PEO107 ] and carefully characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), AFM, polarized UV/Vis spectroscopy, and GI-SAXS/WAXS. The PEO-removed [P3HT20 -Zn-PEO107 ] film was obtained after decomplexation with TEA-EDTA under mild conditions, and the selective removal of PEO domains was evidenced by UV/Vis and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Anisotropic photoconductivity of the magnetically aligned film was evaluated by flash-photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (FP-TRMC) measurements. The results indicated that the presence of insulating crystalline PEO segments diminished the photoconductivity along the P3HT backbone direction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Han Tu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tsuneaki Sakurai
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Shu Seki
- Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ishida
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yi-Tsu Chan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Leniart A, Pula P, Tsai EHR, Majewski PW. Large-Grained Cylindrical Block Copolymer Morphologies by One-Step Room-Temperature Casting. Macromolecules 2020; 53:11178-11189. [PMID: 33380751 PMCID: PMC7759006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We report a facile method of ordering block copolymer (BCP) morphologies in which the conventional two-step casting and annealing steps are replaced by a single-step process where microphase separation and grain coarsening are seamlessly integrated within the casting protocol. This is achieved by slowing down solvent evaporation during casting by introducing a nonvolatile solvent into the BCP casting solution that effectively prolongs the duration of the grain-growth phase. We demonstrate the utility of this solvent evaporation annealing (SEA) method by producing well-ordered large-molecular-weight BCP thin films in a total processing time shorter than 3 min without resorting to any extra laboratory equipment other than a basic casting device, i.e., spin- or blade-coater. By analyzing the morphologies of the quenched samples, we identify a relatively narrow range of polymer concentration in the wet film, just above the order-disorder concentration, to be critical for obtaining large-grained morphologies. This finding is corroborated by the analysis of the grain-growth kinetics of horizontally oriented cylindrical domains where relatively large growth exponents (1/2) are observed, indicative of a more rapid defect-annihilation mechanism in the concentrated BCP solution than in thermally annealed BCP melts. Furthermore, the analysis of temperature-resolved kinetics data allows us to calculate the Arrhenius activation energy of the grain coarsening in this one-step BCP ordering process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Przemyslaw Pula
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland
| | - Esther H. R. Tsai
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dennis JM, Savage AM, Mrozek RA, Lenhart JL. Stimuli‐responsive mechanical properties in polymer glasses: challenges and opportunities for defense applications. POLYM INT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.6154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Dennis
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Alice M Savage
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Randy A Mrozek
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Joseph L Lenhart
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tu T, Sakurai T, Seki S, Ishida Y, Chan Y. Towards Macroscopically Anisotropic Functionality: Oriented Metallo‐supramolecular Polymeric Materials Induced by Magnetic Fields. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202012284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsung‐Han Tu
- Department of Chemistry National Taiwan University Taipei 10617 Taiwan
| | - Tsuneaki Sakurai
- Department of Molecular Engineering Graduate School of Engineering Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku Kyoto 615-8510 Japan
| | - Shu Seki
- Department of Molecular Engineering Graduate School of Engineering Kyoto University, Nishikyo-ku Kyoto 615-8510 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Ishida
- RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science 2-1 Hirosawa Wako Saitama 351-0198 Japan
| | - Yi‐Tsu Chan
- Department of Chemistry National Taiwan University Taipei 10617 Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yamato M, Kimura T. Magnetic Processing of Diamagnetic Materials. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1491. [PMID: 32635334 PMCID: PMC7408077 DOI: 10.3390/polym12071491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, materials scientists and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopists have easy access to high magnetic fields of approximately 10 T supplied by superconducting magnets. Neodymium magnets that generate magnetic fields of approximately 1 T are readily available for laboratory use and are widely used in daily life applications, such as mobile phones and electric vehicles. Such common access to magnetic fields-unexpected 30 years ago-has helped researchers discover new magnetic phenomena and use such phenomena to process diamagnetic materials. Although diamagnetism is well known, it is only during the last 30 years that researchers have applied magnetic processing to various classes of diamagnetic materials such as ceramics, biomaterials, and polymers. The magnetic effects that we report herein are largely attributable to the magnetic force, magnetic torque, and magnetic enthalpy that in turn, directly derive from the well-defined magnetic energy. An example of a more complex magnetic effect is orientation of crystalline polymers under an applied magnetic field; researchers do not yet fully understand the crystallization mechanism. Our review largely focuses on polymeric materials. Research topics such as magnetic effect on chiral recognition are interesting yet beyond our scope.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masafumi Yamato
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University,1-1 Minami-ohsawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Tsunehisa Kimura
- Division of Forestry and Biomaterials, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan;
- Fukui University of Technology, 3-6-1 Gakuen, Fukui 910-8505, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Müller M. Process-directed self-assembly of copolymers: Results of and challenges for simulation studies. Prog Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2019.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
13
|
Feng X, Kawabata K, Cowan MG, Dwulet GE, Toth K, Sixdenier L, Haji-Akbari A, Noble RD, Elimelech M, Gin DL, Osuji CO. Single crystal texture by directed molecular self-assembly along dual axes. NATURE MATERIALS 2019; 18:1235-1243. [PMID: 31209387 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-019-0389-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Creating well-defined single-crystal textures in materials requires the biaxial alignment of all grains into desired orientations, which is challenging to achieve in soft materials. Here we report the formation of single crystals with rigorously controlled texture over macroscopic areas (>1 cm2) in a soft mesophase of a columnar discotic liquid crystal. We use two modes of directed self-assembly, physical confinement and magnetic fields, to achieve control of the orientations of the columnar axes and the hexagonal lattice along orthogonal directions. Field control of the lattice orientation emerges in a low-temperature phase of tilted discogens that breaks the field degeneracy around the columnar axis present in non-tilted states. Conversely, column orientation is controlled by physical confinement and the resulting imposition of homeotropic anchoring at bounding surfaces. These results extend our understanding of molecular organization in tilted systems and may enable the development of a range of new materials for distinct applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xunda Feng
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kohsuke Kawabata
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Matthew G Cowan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Gregory E Dwulet
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Kristof Toth
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Amir Haji-Akbari
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard D Noble
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Douglas L Gin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Chinedum O Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zhang C, Cavicchi KA, Li R, Yager KG, Fukuto M, Vogt BD. Thickness Limit for Alignment of Block Copolymer Films Using Solvent Vapor Annealing with Shear. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Kevin A. Cavicchi
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | | | | | - Bryan D. Vogt
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Koga M, Sato K, Kang S, Tokita M. Microphase‐Separated Morphology and Liquid Crystal Orientation in Block Copolymers Comprising a Main‐Chain Liquid Crystalline Central Segment Connected to Side‐Chain Liquid Crystalline Segments at Both Ends. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201700332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maito Koga
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8552 Japan
| | - Kazunori Sato
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8552 Japan
| | - Sungmin Kang
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8552 Japan
| | - Masatoshi Tokita
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Tokyo Institute of Technology Ookayama, Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8552 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Basutkar MN, Samant S, Strzalka J, Yager KG, Singh G, Karim A. Through-Thickness Vertically Ordered Lamellar Block Copolymer Thin Films on Unmodified Quartz with Cold Zone Annealing. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:7814-7823. [PMID: 29136475 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b04028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Template-free directed self-assembly of ultrathin (approximately tens of nanometers) lamellar block copolymer (l-BCP) films into vertically oriented nanodomains holds much technological relevance for the fabrication of next-generation devices from nanoelectronics to nanomembranes due to domain interconnectivity and high interfacial area. We report for the first time the formation of full through-thickness vertically oriented lamellar domains in 100 nm thin polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) films on quartz substrate, achieved without any PMMA-block wetting layer formation, quartz surface modification (templating chemical, topographical) or system modifications (added surfactant, top-layer coat). Vertical ordering of l-BCPs results from the coupling between a molecular and a macroscopic phenomenon. A molecular relaxation induced vertical l-BCP ordering occurs under a transient macroscopic vertical strain field, imposed by a high film thermal expansion rate under sharp thermal gradient cold zone annealing (CZA-S). The parametric window for vertical ordering is quantified via a coupling constant, C (= v∇T), whose range is established in terms of a thermal gradient (∇T) above a threshold value, and an optimal dynamic sample sweep rate (v ∼ d/τ), where τ is the l-BCP's longest molecular relaxation time and d is the Tg,heat - Tg,cool distance. Real-time CZA-S morphology evolution of vertically oriented l-BCP tracked along ∇T using in situ grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) exhibited an initial formation phase of vertical lamellae, a polygrain structure formation stage, and a grain coarsening phase to fully vertically ordered l-BCP morphology development. CZA-S is a roll-to-roll manufacturing method, rendering this template-free through-thickness vertical ordering of l-BCP films highly attractive and industrially relevant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monali N Basutkar
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Saumil Samant
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Joseph Strzalka
- X-Ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Kevin G Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Gurpreet Singh
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Alamgir Karim
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron , Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gopinadhan M, Choo Y, Kawabata K, Kaufman G, Feng X, Di X, Rokhlenko Y, Mahajan LH, Ndaya D, Kasi RM, Osuji CO. Controlling orientational order in block copolymers using low-intensity magnetic fields. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E9437-E9444. [PMID: 29078379 PMCID: PMC5692580 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712631114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of fields with condensed matter during phase transitions produces a rich variety of physical phenomena. Self-assembly of liquid crystalline block copolymers (LC BCPs) in the presence of a magnetic field, for example, can result in highly oriented microstructures due to the LC BCP's anisotropic magnetic susceptibility. We show that such oriented mesophases can be produced using low-intensity fields (<0.5 T) that are accessible using permanent magnets, in contrast to the high fields (>4 T) and superconducting magnets required to date. Low-intensity field alignment is enabled by the addition of labile mesogens that coassemble with the system's nematic and smectic A mesophases. The alignment saturation field strength and alignment kinetics have pronounced dependences on the free mesogen concentration. Highly aligned states with orientation distribution coefficients close to unity were obtained at fields as small as 0.2 T. This remarkable field response originates in an enhancement of alignment kinetics due to a reduction in viscosity, and increased magnetostatic energy due to increases in grain size, in the presence of labile mesogens. These developments provide routes for controlling structural order in BCPs, including the possibility of producing nontrivial textures and patterns of alignment by locally screening fields using magnetic nanoparticles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manesh Gopinadhan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Youngwoo Choo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Kohsuke Kawabata
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
- Center for Emergent Matter Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Gilad Kaufman
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Xunda Feng
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Xiaojun Di
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Yekaterina Rokhlenko
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Lalit H Mahajan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Dennis Ndaya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Rajeswari M Kasi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
- Polymer Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Chinedum O Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511;
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rokhlenko Y, Majewski PW, Larson SR, Gopalan P, Yager KG, Osuji CO. Implications of Grain Size Variation in Magnetic Field Alignment of Block Copolymer Blends. ACS Macro Lett 2017; 6:404-409. [PMID: 35610856 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent experiments have highlighted the intrinsic magnetic anisotropy in coil-coil diblock copolymers, specifically in poly(styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), that enables magnetic field alignment at field strengths of a few tesla. We consider here the alignment response of two low molecular weight (MW) lamallae-forming PS-b-P4VP systems. Cooling across the disorder-order transition temperature (Todt) results in strong alignment for the higher MW sample (5.5K), whereas little alignment is discernible for the lower MW system (3.6K). This disparity under otherwise identical conditions of field strength and cooling rate suggests that different average grain sizes are produced during slow cooling of these materials, with larger grains formed in the higher MW material. Blending the block copolymers results in homogeneous samples which display Todt, d-spacings, and grain sizes that are intermediate between the two neat diblocks. Similarly, the alignment quality displays a smooth variation with the concentration of the higher MW diblock in the blends, and the size of grains likewise interpolates between limits set by the neat diblocks, with a factor of 3.5× difference in the grain size observed in high vs low MW neat diblocks. These results highlight the importance of grain growth kinetics in dictating the field response in block copolymers and suggests an unconventional route for the manipulation of such kinetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yekaterina Rokhlenko
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Paweł W. Majewski
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02093, Poland
| | - Steven R. Larson
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Padma Gopalan
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Block copolymer thin films: Characterizing nanostructure evolution with in situ X-ray and neutron scattering. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.06.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
20
|
Samant S, Strzalka J, Yager KG, Kisslinger K, Grolman D, Basutkar M, Salunke N, Singh G, Berry B, Karim A. Ordering Pathway of Block Copolymers under Dynamic Thermal Gradients Studied by in Situ GISAXS. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b01555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Saumil Samant
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Joseph Strzalka
- X-ray
Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Kim Kisslinger
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Danielle Grolman
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Monali Basutkar
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Namrata Salunke
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Gurpreet Singh
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Brian Berry
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas 72701, United States
| | - Alamgir Karim
- Department
of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kathrein CC, Pester C, Ruppel M, Jung M, Zimmermann M, Böker A. Reorientation mechanisms of block copolymer/CdSe quantum dot composites under application of an electric field. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:8417-8424. [PMID: 27714368 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01073c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Time- and temperature-resolved in situ birefringence measurements were applied to analyze the effect of nanoparticles on the electric field-induced alignment of a microphase separated solution of poly(styrene)-block-poly(isoprene) in toluene. Through the incorporation of isoprene-confined CdSe quantum dots the reorientation behavior is altered. Particle loading lowers the order-disorder transition temperature, and increases the defect density, favoring nucleation and growth as an alignment mechanism over rotation of grains. The temperature dependent alteration in the reorientation mechanism is analyzed via a combination of birefringence and synchrotron SAXS. The detailed understanding of the effect of nanoparticles on the reorientation mechanism is an important prerequisite for optimization of electric-field-induced alignment of block copolymer/nanoparticle composites where the block copolymer guides the nanoparticle self-assembly into anisotropic structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine C Kathrein
- DWI - Leibniz Institut für Interaktive Materialien, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, RWTH Aachen University D-52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian Pester
- University of California, Materials Research Laboratory, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Markus Ruppel
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP, Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologie, Universität Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| | - Maike Jung
- DWI - Leibniz Institut für Interaktive Materialien, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, RWTH Aachen University D-52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Marc Zimmermann
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP, Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologie, Universität Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| | - Alexander Böker
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP, Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologie, Universität Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Majewski PW, Yager KG. Rapid ordering of block copolymer thin films. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2016; 28:403002. [PMID: 27537062 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/40/403002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Block-copolymers self-assemble into diverse morphologies, where nanoscale order can be finely tuned via block architecture and processing conditions. However, the ultimate usage of these materials in real-world applications may be hampered by the extremely long thermal annealing times-hours or days-required to achieve good order. Here, we provide an overview of the fundamentals of block-copolymer self-assembly kinetics, and review the techniques that have been demonstrated to influence, and enhance, these ordering kinetics. We discuss the inherent tradeoffs between oven annealing, solvent annealing, microwave annealing, zone annealing, and other directed self-assembly methods; including an assessment of spatial and temporal characteristics. We also review both real-space and reciprocal-space analysis techniques for quantifying order in these systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pawel W Majewski
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA. Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Shin J, Kang M, Tsai T, Leal C, Braun PV, Cahill DG. Thermally Functional Liquid Crystal Networks by Magnetic Field Driven Molecular Orientation. ACS Macro Lett 2016; 5:955-960. [PMID: 35607211 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aligned liquid crystal networks were synthesized by photopolymerization of liquid crystal monomers in the presence of magnetic fields. Grazing incident wide-angle X-ray scattering was used to characterize the degree of molecular alignment of mesogen chains and time-domain thermoreflectance was used to measure thermal conductivity. Liquid crystal networks with mesogenic units aligned perpendicular and parallel to the substrate exhibit thermal conductivity of 0.34 W m-1 K-1 and 0.22 W m-1 K-1, respectively. The thermal conductivity and orientational order of liquid crystal networks vary as a function of temperature. The thermal conductivity of liquid crystal networks can be manipulated by a magnetic field at above the glass transition temperature (65 °C) where the reduced viscosity enables molecular reorientation on the time scale of 10 min.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jungwoo Shin
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Minjee Kang
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Tsunghan Tsai
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Cecilia Leal
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Paul V. Braun
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - David G. Cahill
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering and Frederick Seitz Materials
Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kan D, He X. Tuning phase structures of a symmetrical diblock copolymer with a patterned electric field. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:4449-4456. [PMID: 27102422 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm03154k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Electric fields can induce the orientation of the phase interfaces of block copolymers and provide a potential method to tune polymer phase structures for nanomaterial manufacture. In this work, we applied self-consistent field theory to study the self-assembly of a diblock copolymer confined between two parallel neutral substrates on which a set of electrodes was imposed to form a patterned electric field. The results showed that an alternatively distributed electric field can induce the formation of a parallel lamellar phase structure, which exists stably only in the system with selective substrates. The phase structure was proved to be sensitive to the characteristics of the electric field distribution, such as the strength of the electric field, the size and position of the electrodes, and the corresponding phase diagram was calculated in detail. The transition pathway of the phase structure from the perpendicular layered phase to the parallel layered phase was further analysed using the minimum energy path method. It is shown that the path and the active energy barrier of the phase transition depend on the electric field strength. Compound electric field patterns that can be designed to control the formation of novel and complex microphase structures were also examined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Kan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China.
| | - Xuehao He
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, 300072 Tianjin, China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang Y, Chen Y, Gao J, Yoon HG, Jin L, Forsyth M, Dingemans TJ, Madsen LA. Highly Conductive and Thermally Stable Ion Gels with Tunable Anisotropy and Modulus. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2016; 28:2571-8. [PMID: 26822386 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201505183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
A new liquid-crystalline ion gel exhibits unprecedented properties: conductivity up to 8 mS cm(-1) , thermal stability to 300 °C, and electrochemical window to 6.1 V, as well as adjustable transport anisotropy (up to 3.5×) and elastic modulus (0.03-3 GPa). The combination of ionic liquid and magnetically oriented rigid-rod polyanion provides widely tunable properties for use in diverse electrochemical devices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Jianwei Gao
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Hyun Gook Yoon
- Institute for Frontier Materials and ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Liyu Jin
- Institute for Frontier Materials and ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Maria Forsyth
- Institute for Frontier Materials and ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Theo J Dingemans
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Louis A Madsen
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Qiang Z, Ye C, Lin K, Becker ML, Cavicchi KA, Vogt BD. Evolution in surface morphology during rapid microwave annealing of
PS
‐
b
‐
PMMA
thin films. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.24043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Qiang
- Department of Polymer Engineeringthe University of Akron250 S Forge StAkron Ohio44325
| | - Changhuai Ye
- Department of Polymer Engineeringthe University of Akron250 S Forge StAkron Ohio44325
| | - Kehua Lin
- Department of Polymer Engineeringthe University of Akron250 S Forge StAkron Ohio44325
| | - Matthew L. Becker
- Department of Polymer ScienceGoodyear Polymer Center, the University of Akron170 University CircleAkron Ohio44325
| | - Kevin A. Cavicchi
- Department of Polymer Engineeringthe University of Akron250 S Forge StAkron Ohio44325
| | - Bryan D. Vogt
- Department of Polymer Engineeringthe University of Akron250 S Forge StAkron Ohio44325
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chen W, Zhu Y, Cui F, Liu L, Sun Z, Chen J, Li Y. GPU-Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Study Liquid Crystal Phase Transition Using Coarse-Grained Gay-Berne Anisotropic Potential. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151704. [PMID: 26986851 PMCID: PMC4795799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gay-Berne (GB) potential is regarded as an accurate model in the simulation of anisotropic particles, especially for liquid crystal (LC) mesogens. However, its computational complexity leads to an extremely time-consuming process for large systems. Here, we developed a GPU-accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with coarse-grained GB potential implemented in GALAMOST package to investigate the LC phase transitions for mesogens in small molecules, main-chain or side-chain polymers. For identical mesogens in three different molecules, on cooling from fully isotropic melts, the small molecules form a single-domain smectic-B phase, while the main-chain LC polymers prefer a single-domain nematic phase as a result of connective restraints in neighboring mesogens. The phase transition of side-chain LC polymers undergoes a two-step process: nucleation of nematic islands and formation of multi-domain nematic texture. The particular behavior originates in the fact that the rotational orientation of the mesogenes is hindered by the polymer backbones. Both the global distribution and the local orientation of mesogens are critical for the phase transition of anisotropic particles. Furthermore, compared with the MD simulation in LAMMPS, our GPU-accelerated code is about 4 times faster than the GPU version of LAMMPS and at least 200 times faster than the CPU version of LAMMPS. This study clearly shows that GPU-accelerated MD simulation with GB potential in GALAMOST can efficiently handle systems with anisotropic particles and interactions, and accurately explore phase differences originated from molecular structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenduo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Rubber & Laboratory of Advanced Power Sources, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Youliang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Fengchao Cui
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Rubber & Laboratory of Advanced Power Sources, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Lunyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Rubber & Laboratory of Advanced Power Sources, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Zhaoyan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Jizhong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| | - Yunqi Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Rubber & Laboratory of Advanced Power Sources, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gopinadhan M, Choo Y, Osuji CO. Strong Orientational Coupling of Block Copolymer Microdomains to Smectic Layering Revealed by Magnetic Field Alignment. ACS Macro Lett 2016; 5:292-296. [PMID: 35614723 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.5b00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We elucidate the roles of the isotropic-nematic (I-N) and nematic-smectic A (N-SmA) transitions in the magnetic field directed self-assembly of a liquid crystalline block copolymer (BCP), using in situ X-ray scattering. Cooling into the nematic from the disordered melt yields poorly ordered and weakly aligned BCP microdomains. Continued cooling into the SmA, however, results in an abrupt increase in BCP orientational order with microdomain alignment tightly coupled to the translational order parameter of the smectic layers. These results underscore the significance of the N-SmA transition in generating highly aligned states under magnetic fields in these hierarchically ordered materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manesh Gopinadhan
- Department of Chemical and
Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Youngwoo Choo
- Department of Chemical and
Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department of Chemical and
Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Rokhlenko Y, Gopinadhan M, Osuji CO, Zhang K, O'Hern CS, Larson SR, Gopalan P, Majewski PW, Yager KG. Magnetic Alignment of Block Copolymer Microdomains by Intrinsic Chain Anisotropy. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 115:258302. [PMID: 26722950 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.115.258302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We examine the role of intrinsic chain susceptibility anisotropy in magnetic field directed self-assembly of a block copolymer using in situ x-ray scattering. Alignment of a lamellar mesophase is observed on cooling across the disorder-order transition with the resulting orientational order inversely proportional to the cooling rate. We discuss the origin of the susceptibility anisotropy, Δχ, that drives alignment and calculate its magnitude using coarse-grained molecular dynamics to sample conformations of surface-tethered chains, finding Δχ≈2×10^{-8}. From field-dependent scattering data, we estimate that grains of ≈1.2 μm are present during alignment. These results demonstrate that intrinsic anisotropy is sufficient to support strong field-induced mesophase alignment and suggest a versatile strategy for field control of orientational order in block copolymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yekaterina Rokhlenko
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Manesh Gopinadhan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Chinedum O Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Corey S O'Hern
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Steven R Larson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Padma Gopalan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Paweł W Majewski
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
| | - Kevin G Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Liedel C, Lewin C, Tsarkova L, Böker A. Reversible Switching of Block Copolymer Nanopatterns by Orthogonal Electric Fields. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2015; 11:6058-6064. [PMID: 26449286 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201502259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
It is demonstrated that the orientation of striped patterns can be reversibly switched between two perpendicular in-plane orientations upon exposure to electric fields. The results on thin films of symmetric polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) polymer in the intermediate segregation regime disclose two types of reorientation mechanisms from perpendicular to parallel relative to the electric field orientation. Domains orient via grain rotation and via formation of defects such as stretched undulations and temporal phase transitions. The contribution of additional fields to the structural evolution is also addressed to elucidate the generality of the observed phenomena. In particular solvent effects are considered. This study reveals the stabilization of the meta-stable in-plane oriented lamella due to sequential swelling and quenching of the film. Further, the reorientation behavior of lamella domains blended with selective nanoparticles is addressed, which affect the interfacial tensions of the blocks and hence introduce another internal field to the studied system. Switching the orientation of aligned block copolymer patterns between two orthogonal directions may open new applications of nanomaterials as switchable electric nanowires or optical gratings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Liedel
- Department of Colloid Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Research Campus Golm, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christian Lewin
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University and DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Larisa Tsarkova
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University and DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Böker
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung (IAP), Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologien, Universität Potsdam, Geiselbergstrasse 69, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Müller M, Tang J. Alignment of Copolymer Morphology by Planar Step Elongation during Spinodal Self-Assembly. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 115:228301. [PMID: 26650318 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.115.228301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Using simulation and numerical self-consistent field theory of an unentangled diblock copolymer melt, we study the interplay between relaxation of molecular conformations from a highly stretched, nonequilibrium state and structure formation of the local, conserved density during self-assembly from a disordered state. We observe that the planar elongation of molecular conformations in the initial, disordered state results in an alignment of lamella normals perpendicular to the stretch direction during the subsequent self-assembly. Although thermodynamically the parallel orientation is favored, the alignment of the lamella normal perpendicular to the stretch direction is characterized by the larger growth rate of composition fluctuations during the spinodal ordering process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jiuzhou Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Kathrein CC, Kipnusu WK, Kremer F, Böker A. Birefringence Analysis of the Effect of Electric Fields on the Order–Disorder Transition Temperature of Lamellae Forming Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine C. Kathrein
- Lehrstuhl
für Makromolekulare Materialien und Oberflächen, DWI
- Leibniz Institut für Interaktive Materialien, RWTH Aachen University, D-52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Wycliffe K. Kipnusu
- Institut
für Experimentelle Physik, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Friedrich Kremer
- Institut
für Experimentelle Physik, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Böker
- Lehrstuhl
für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologien, Fraunhofer-Institut
für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Qiang Z, Wadley ML, Vogt BD, Cavicchi KA. Facile non-lithographic route to highly aligned silica nanopatterns using unidirectionally aligned polystyrene-block
-polydimethylsiloxane films. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.23740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Qiang
- Department of Polymer Engineering; University of Akron, 250 S Forge St.; Akron OH 44325 United States
| | - Maurice L. Wadley
- Department of Polymer Engineering; University of Akron, 250 S Forge St.; Akron OH 44325 United States
| | - Bryan D. Vogt
- Department of Polymer Engineering; University of Akron, 250 S Forge St.; Akron OH 44325 United States
| | - Kevin A. Cavicchi
- Department of Polymer Engineering; University of Akron, 250 S Forge St.; Akron OH 44325 United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Cheng S, Smith DM, Pan Q, Wang S, Li CY. Anisotropic ion transport in nanostructured solid polymer electrolytes. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra05240h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We discuss recent progresses on anisotropic ion transport in solid polymer electrolytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia
- USA
| | - Derrick M. Smith
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia
- USA
| | - Qiwei Pan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia
- USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
| | - Shijun Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia
- USA
| | - Christopher Y. Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Drexel University
- Philadelphia
- USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Tousley ME, Feng X, Elimelech M, Osuji CO. Aligned nanostructured polymers by magnetic-field-directed self-assembly of a polymerizable lyotropic mesophase. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2014; 6:19710-19717. [PMID: 25180677 DOI: 10.1021/am504730b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic-field-directed assembly of lyotropic surfactant mesophases provides a scalable approach for the fabrication of aligned nanoporous polymers by templated polymerization. We develop and characterize a lyotropic liquid crystalline system containing hexagonally packed cylindrical micelles of a polymerizable surfactant in a polymerizable solvent. The system exhibits negative magnetic anisotropy, resulting in the degenerate alignment of cylindrical micelles perpendicular to the magnetic field. Sample rotation during field alignment is used to effectively break this degeneracy and enable the production of uniformly well-aligned mesophases. High-fidelity retentions of the hexagonal structure and alignment were successfully achieved in polymer films produced upon UV exposure of the reactive system. The success of this effort provides a route for the fabrication of aligned nanoporous membranes suitable for highly selective separations, sensing, and templated nanomaterial synthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marissa E Tousley
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University , 9 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Raman V, Hatton TA, Olsen BD. Kinetics of magnetic field-induced orientational ordering in block copolymer/superparamagnetic nanoparticle composites. Macromol Rapid Commun 2014; 35:2005-11. [PMID: 25308239 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201400373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The combination of external potential dynamics and Brownian dynamics is introduced to study the kinetics of orientational ordering in block copolymer/superparamagnetic nanoparticle composites where the particles are smaller than the domain spacing and preferentially segregate into one block of the copolymer. This simulation method accounts for both excluded volume interactions and dipolar interactions between particles to quantify alignment kinetics. Two-dimensional simulations reveal that higher dipolar interaction strengths lead to faster alignment of the block copolymer, where the orientation kinetics obeys an exponential rate law. The observed rate of alignment increases with increasing dipolar interaction strength and is dependent on the initial state of the block copolymer. The primary mechanism of orientational ordering is found to be the redistribution of monomer segments leading to bridging and growth of the block copolymer domains around the nanoparticles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Raman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Qiang Z, Zhang Y, Groff JA, Cavicchi KA, Vogt BD. A generalized method for alignment of block copolymer films: solvent vapor annealing with soft shear. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:6068-76. [PMID: 25004006 DOI: 10.1039/c4sm00875h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
One of the key issues associated with the utilization of block copolymer (BCP) thin films in nanoscience and nanotechnology is control of their alignment and orientation over macroscopic dimensions. We have recently reported a method, solvent vapor annealing with soft shear (SVA-SS), for fabricating unidirectional alignment of cylindrical nanostructures. This method is a simple extension of the common SVA process by adhering a flat, crosslinked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) pad to the BCP thin film. The impact of processing parameters, including annealing time, solvent removal rate and the physical properties of the PDMS pad, on the quality of alignment quantified by the Herman's orientational factor (S) is systematically examined for a model system of polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (SIS). As annealing time increases, the SIS morphology transitions from isotropic rods to highly aligned cylinders. Decreasing the rate of solvent removal, which impacts the shear rate imposed by the contraction of the PDMS, improves the orientation factor of the cylindrical domains; this suggests the nanostructure alignment is primarily induced by contraction of PDMS during solvent removal. Moreover, the physical properties of the PDMS controlled by the crosslink density impact the orientation factor by tuning its swelling extent during SVA-SS and elastic modulus. Decreasing the PDMS crosslink density increases S; this effect appears to be primarily driven by the changes in the solubility of the SVA-SS solvent in the PDMS. With this understanding of the critical processing parameters, SVA-SS has been successfully applied to align a wide variety of BCPs including polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene (SBS), polystyrene-block-poly(N,N-dimethyl-n-octadecylammonium p-styrenesulfonate) (PS-b-PSS-DMODA), polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) and polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinlypyridine) (PS-b-P2VP). These results suggest that SVA-SS is a generalizable method for the alignment of BCP thin films.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Qiang
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Gopinadhan M, Deshmukh P, Choo Y, Majewski PW, Bakajin O, Elimelech M, Kasi RM, Osuji CO. Thermally switchable aligned nanopores by magnetic-field directed self-assembly of block copolymers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:5148-54. [PMID: 24894877 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201401569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A scalable approach for developing large area polymer films, with stimuli responsive vertically aligned nanopores is reported. Magnetic fields are used to create highly aligned hexagonally packed block copolymer cylindrical microdomains with order parameters exceeding 0.95. Selective etch removal of material yields nanoporous films which demonstrate reversible pore closure on heating.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manesh Gopinadhan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hu H, Singer JP, Osuji CO. Morphology Development in Thin Films of a Lamellar Block Copolymer Deposited by Electrospray. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma500376n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanqiong Hu
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Singer
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Hu H, Gopinadhan M, Osuji CO. Directed self-assembly of block copolymers: a tutorial review of strategies for enabling nanotechnology with soft matter. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:3867-89. [PMID: 24740355 DOI: 10.1039/c3sm52607k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly of soft materials is broadly considered an attractive means of generating nanoscale structures and patterns over large areas. However, the spontaneous formation of equilibrium nanostructures in response to temperature and concentration changes, for example, must be guided to yield the long-range order and orientation required for utility in a given scenario. In this review we examine directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) as canonical examples of nanostructured soft matter systems which are additionally compelling for creating functional materials and devices. We survey well established and newly emerging DSA methods from a tutorial perspective. Special emphasis is given to exploring underlying physical phenomena, identifying prototypical BCPs that are compatible with different DSA techniques, describing experimental methods and highlighting the attractive functional properties of block copolymers overall. Finally we offer a brief perspective on some unresolved issues and future opportunities in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanqiong Hu
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Lin YH, Yager KG, Stewart B, Verduzco R. Lamellar and liquid crystal ordering in solvent-annealed all-conjugated block copolymers. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:3817-3825. [PMID: 24718905 DOI: 10.1039/c3sm53090f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
All-conjugated block copolymers are an emerging class of polymeric materials promising for organic electronic applications, but further progress requires a better understanding of their microstructure including crystallinity and self-assembly through micro-phase segregation. Here, we demonstrate remarkable changes in the thin film structure of a model series of all-conjugated block copolymers with varying processing conditions. Under thermal annealing, poly(3-hexylthiophene)-b-poly(9',9'-dioctylfluorene) (P3HT-b-PF) all-conjugated block copolymers exhibit crystalline features of P3HT or PF, depending on the block ratio, and poor π-π stacking. Under chloroform solvent annealing, the block copolymers exhibit lamellar ordering, as evidenced by multiple reflections in grazing incidence wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS and GISAXS), including an in-plane reflection indicative of order along the π-π stacking direction for both P3HT and PF blocks. The lamellae have a characteristic domain size of 4.2 nm, and this domain size is found to be independent of block copolymer molecular weight and block ratio. This suggests that lamellar self-assembly arises due to a combination of polymer block segregation and π-π stacking of both P3HT and PF polymer blocks. Strategies for predicting the microstructure of all-conjugated block copolymers must take into account intermolecular π-π stacking and liquid crystalline interactions not typically found in flexible coil block copolymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Hao Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, MS-362, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Deshmukh P, Gopinadhan M, Choo Y, Ahn SK, Majewski PW, Yoon SY, Bakajin O, Elimelech M, Osuji CO, Kasi RM. Molecular Design of Liquid Crystalline Brush-Like Block Copolymers for Magnetic Field Directed Self-Assembly: A Platform for Functional Materials. ACS Macro Lett 2014; 3:462-466. [PMID: 35590783 DOI: 10.1021/mz500161k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We report on the development of a liquid crystalline block copolymer with brush-type architecture as a platform for creating functional materials by magnetic-field-directed self-assembly. Ring-opening metathesis of n-alkyloxy cyanobiphenyl and polylactide (PLA) functionalized norbornene monomers provides efficient polymerization yielding low polydispersity block copolymers. The mesogenic species, spacer length, monomer functionality, brush-chain length, and overall molecular weight were chosen and optimized to produce hexagonally packed cylindrical PLA domains which self-assemble and align parallel to an applied magnetic field. The PLA domains can be selectively removed by hydrolytic degradation resulting in the production of nanoporous films. The polymers described here provide a versatile platform for scalable fabrication of aligned nanoporous materials and other functional materials based on such templates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Deshmukh
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Manesh Gopinadhan
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Youngwoo Choo
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Suk-kyun Ahn
- Polymer
Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Pawel W. Majewski
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Sook Young Yoon
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Olgica Bakajin
- Porifera Nano Inc., Hayward, California 94545, United States
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Rajeswari M. Kasi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
- Polymer
Program, Institute of Material Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Wang Y, Gao J, Dingemans TJ, Madsen LA. Molecular Alignment and Ion Transport in Rigid Rod Polyelectrolyte Solutions. Macromolecules 2014. [DOI: 10.1021/ma500364t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department
of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Jianwei Gao
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg
1, 2629
HS, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Theo J. Dingemans
- Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg
1, 2629
HS, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Louis A. Madsen
- Department
of Chemistry and Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Vibrational nano-spectroscopic imaging correlating structure with intermolecular coupling and dynamics. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3587. [PMID: 24721995 PMCID: PMC4071972 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular self-assembly, the function of biomembranes and the performance of organic solar cells rely on nanoscale molecular interactions. Understanding and control of such materials have been impeded by difficulties in imaging their properties with the desired nanometre spatial resolution, attomolar sensitivity and intermolecular spectroscopic specificity. Here we implement vibrational scattering-scanning near-field optical microscopy with high spectral precision to investigate the structure–function relationship in nano-phase separated block copolymers. A vibrational resonance is used as a sensitive reporter of the local chemical environment and we image, with few nanometre spatial resolution and 0.2 cm−1 spectral precision, solvatochromic Stark shifts and line broadening correlated with molecular-scale morphologies. We discriminate local variations in electric fields between nano-domains with quantitative agreement with dielectric continuum models. This ability to directly resolve nanoscale morphology and associated intermolecular interactions can form a basis for the systematic control of functionality in multicomponent soft matter systems. Quantifying intermolecular coupling and local morphology is important to understand soft matter systems. Pollard et al. show how multispectral vibrational near-field optical microscopy can be used to image molecular-scale morphology and intermolecular interactions with nanometre spatial resolution.
Collapse
|
45
|
Young WS, Kuan WF, Epps TH. Block copolymer electrolytes for rechargeable lithium batteries. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.23404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Shiue Young
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Delaware; Newark Delaware 19716
| | - Wei-Fan Kuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Delaware; Newark Delaware 19716
| | - Thomas H. Epps
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Delaware; Newark Delaware 19716
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Koga M, Sato K, Kang S, Sakajiri K, Watanabe J, Tokita M. Influence of Smectic Liquid Crystallinity on Lamellar Microdomain Structure in a Main-Chain Liquid Crystal Block Copolymer Fiber. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201300353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maito Koga
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| | - Kazunori Sato
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| | - Sungmin Kang
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| | - Koichi Sakajiri
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| | - Junji Watanabe
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| | - Masatoshi Tokita
- Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials; Tokyo Institute of Technology; Ookayama Meguro-ku Tokyo 152-8552 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Tran H, Gopinadhan M, Majewski PW, Shade R, Steffes V, Osuji CO, Campos LM. Monoliths of semiconducting block copolymers by magnetic alignment. ACS NANO 2013; 7:5514-5521. [PMID: 23688262 DOI: 10.1021/nn401725a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Achieving highly ordered and aligned assemblies of organic semiconductors is a persistent challenge for improving the performance of organic electronics. This is an acute problem in macromolecular systems where slow kinetics and long-range disorder prevail, thus making the fabrication of high-performance large-area semiconducting polymer films a nontrivial venture. Here, we demonstrate that the anisotropic nature of semiconducting chromophores can be effectively leveraged to yield hierarchically ordered materials that can be readily macroscopically aligned. An n-type mesogen was synthesized based on a perylene diimide (PDI) rigid core coupled to an imidazole headgroup via an alkyl spacer. Supramolecular assembly between the imidazole and acrylic acid units on a poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid) block copolymer yielded self-assembled hexagonally ordered polystyrene cylinders within a smectic A mesophase of the PDI mesogen and poly(acrylic acid). We show that magnetic fields can be used to control the alignment of the PDI species and the block copolymer superstructure concurrently in a facile manner during cooling from a high-temperature disordered state. The resulting materials are monoliths, with a single well-defined orientation of the semiconducting chromophore and block copolymer microdomains throughout the sample. This synergistic introduction of both functional properties and the means of controlling alignment by supramolecular attachment of mesogenic species to polymer backbones offer new possibilities for the modular design of functional nanostructured materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Tran
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Schoberth HG, Pester CW, Ruppel M, Urban VS, Böker A. Orientation-Dependent Order-Disorder Transition of Block Copolymer Lamellae in Electric Fields. ACS Macro Lett 2013; 2:469-473. [PMID: 35581799 DOI: 10.1021/mz400013u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Electric fields have been shown to stabilize the disordered phase of near-critical block copolymer solutions. Here, we use in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering to examine how the initial orientation of lamellar domains with respect to the external field (φ) affects the shift in the order-disorder transition temperature (TODT) of lyotropic solutions of poly(styrene-b-isoprene) in toluene. We find a downward shift of the transition temperature, which scales with lamellar orientation as ΔTODT ∼ cos2 φ, in accordance with theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heiko G. Schoberth
- Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare
Materialien und Oberflächen, DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Christian W. Pester
- Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare
Materialien und Oberflächen, DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Markus Ruppel
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee
37831, United States
| | - Volker S. Urban
- Biology
and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tennessee
37831, United States
| | - Alexander Böker
- Lehrstuhl für Makromolekulare
Materialien und Oberflächen, DWI an der RWTH Aachen e.V., RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
- JARA-FIT, RWTH Aachen University, D-52056 Aachen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
McCulloch B, Portale G, Bras W, Pople JA, Hexemer A, Segalman RA. Dynamics of Magnetic Alignment in Rod–Coil Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2013. [DOI: 10.1021/ma400430h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan McCulloch
- Department of Chemistry
and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United
States
| | - Giuseppe Portale
- ESRF, DUBBLE CRG, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), F-38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Wim Bras
- ESRF, DUBBLE CRG, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), F-38043 Grenoble, France
| | - John A. Pople
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation
Laboratory, SLAC, P.O. Box 4349, Stanford,
California 94309, United States
| | - Alexander Hexemer
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Rachel A. Segalman
- Department of Chemistry
and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United
States
- Materials Science
Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory,
Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
AlSunaidi A, den Otter WK, Clarke JHR. Inducement by directional fields of rotational and translational phase ordering in polymer liquid-crystals. J Chem Phys 2013; 138:154904. [PMID: 23614445 DOI: 10.1063/1.4798462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of aligning fields on models of polymer liquid crystals were simulated using the dissipative particle dynamics method. Exposing a liquid crystal of rod-like particles to a directional field causes a stabilization of the phases with orientational order, shifts the isotropic-nematic and nematic-smectic-A phase transitions to higher temperatures, makes the transitions continuous beyond a critical field strength, and induces weak para-nematic alignment in the zero-field isotropic phase. The interplay of liquid-crystalline ordering, microphase separation, and an alignment field endows the diblock and triblock copolymers studied here with rich phase behavior. The simulations suggest that field-induced orientational ordering can give rise to positional ordering. Reversely, positional ordering resulting from rod-coil demixing may be accompanied by orientational ordering, which is enhanced by external fields. For highly asymmetric rod-coil copolymers, the microphase separation pattern formed by the rigid segments can be altered by an aligning field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A AlSunaidi
- Department of Physics and Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|