Superlattice formation in a binary mixture of block copolymer micelles.
A binary solution mixture of distinct block copolymer micelles is found to adopt a superlattice. The larger micelles, formed from polystyrene-polyisoprene diblocks, have a nominal radius of 29 nm; the smaller micelles, formed from polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane diblocks, have a nominal radius of 16 nm. The superlattice unit cell dimension is 156 nm and is assigned to space group Fm3c; it corresponds to the AB13 structure. As these diblocks are uncharged, the driving force for superlattice formation is primarily free volume entropy, as in sterically stabilized colloidal hard spheres.
Abbas
Sayeed
S
Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Lodge
Timothy P
TP
D003102:Colloids; D008823:Micelles; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014965:X-Rays
D003102:Colloids; D008823:Micelles; D011108:Polymers