title: Ion complexation: a route to enhanced block copolymer alignment with electric fields.
abstract: We investigate the enhanced alignment of lamellar microdomains under an electric field by addition of lithium chloride (LiCl) into polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) copolymers. A significant increase of dielectric contrast resulting from the formation of lithium-PMMA complexes markedly reduces the critical electric field strength required to overcome the preferential interactions of one block with the substrate, providing a route to achieve the complete alignment of microdomains in block copolymer thin films.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Jia-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Leiston-Belanger
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Russell