Strong-Segregation Theory of Bicontinuous Phases in Block Copolymers

Abstract

We compute phase diagrams for $A_n{B}_m$ starblock copolymers in the strong-segregation regime as a function of volume fraction $\varphi$, including bicontinuous phases related to minimal surfaces (G, D, and P surfaces) as candidate structures. We present the details of a general method to compute free energies in the strong segregation limit, and demonstrate that the gyroid G phase is the most nearly stable among the bicontinuous phases considered. We explore some effects of conformational asymmetry on the topology of the phase diagram.

14 pages, latex, 21 figures, to appear in Macromolecules

Cited by in corpus (13)

• A Geometric Theory of Diblock Copolymer Phases
• Stable Frank-Kasper phases of self-assembled, soft matter spheres
• Interfaces in Diblocks: A Study of Miktoarm Star Copolymers
• A Variational Level Set Approach for Surface Area Minimization of Triply Periodic Surfaces
• Self-Consistent Field Theory of Multiply-Branched Block Copolymer Melts
• Chirality in Block Copolymer Melts: Mesoscopic Helicity from Inter-Segment Twist
• How does your gyroid grow?: A mesoatomic perspective on supramolecular, soft matter network crystals
• End exclusion zones in strongly stretched, molten polymer brushes of arbitrary shape
• Microstructural and Transport Characteristics of Triply Periodic Bicontinuous Materials
• Geometric strong segregation theory for compositionally asymmetric diblock copolymer melts
• Tracing chirality from molecular organization to triply-periodic network assemblies: Threading biaxial twist through block copolymer gyroids
• Medial packing and elastic asymmetry stabilize the double-gyroid in block copolymers
• A flexible implementation of strong segregation theory for two dimensional ABC star terpolymer morphologies