title: Self-regulated structures in nanocomposites by directed nanoparticle assembly.
abstract: Adding surface-modified silica nanoparticles (NPs) to polymer blend films, we demonstrate that directed interfacial segregation of NPs stabilize either three-dimensional (3D) interpenetrating or 2D discrete structures at high and low volume fractions of NPs, respectively. A simple interfacial energy argument provides a general guideline for predicting whether the NPs are directed to the interface between phases or into one phase. The final morphology and domain size can be predicted from the volume fraction of NPs, film thickness, and NP size.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering and Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6272, USA.
authors.forename: Hyun-joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Composto