Microphase separation in linear multiblock copolymers under poor solvent conditions

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the phase behavior of linear multiblock copolymers with two types of monomers, A and B, where the length of the polymer blocks $N_A$ and $N_B$ ($N_A=N_B=N$), the number of the blocks $n_A$ and $n_B$ ($n_A=n_B=n$), and the solvent quality varies. The fraction $f$ of A-type monomers is kept constant and equal to 0.5. Whereas at high enough temperatures these macromolecules form coil structures, where each block A or B forms rather individual clusters, at low enough temperatures A and B monomers from different blocks can join together forming clusters of A or B monomers. The dependence of the formation of these clusters on the varied parameters is discussed in detail, providing a full understanding of the phase behavior of linear multiblock copolymers, at least for this symmetrical case.

8 pages, 12 figures, to be published in Soft Matter

References in corpus (2)

• Transport phenomena and microscopic structure in partially miscible binary fluids: A simulation study of the symmetrical Lennard-Jones mixture
• Helical structures from an isotropic homopolymer model

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Computer simulation of bottle brush polymers with flexible backbone: Good solvent versus Theta solvent conditions
• Molecular dynamics simulations of single-component bottle-brush polymers with a flexible backbone under poor solvent conditions
• A study for the static properties of symmetric linear multiblock copolymers under poor solvent conditions
• Phase behavior of symmetric linear multiblock copolymers
• Unidirectional Droplet Propulsion onto Gradient Brushes without External Energy Supply
• Analysis of the static properties of cluster formations in symmetric linear multiblock copolymers
• Antidurotaxis Droplet Motion onto Gradient Brush Substrates
• Phase behaviour of two-component bottle-brush polymers with flexible backbones under poor solvent conditions
• A novel heterogeneous structure formed by a single multiblock copolymer chain