Lamellar-in-lamellar structure of binary linear multiblock copolymers.
A theoretical description of the lamellar-in-lamellar self-assembly of binary A-b-(B-b-A)(m)-b-B-b-A multiblock copolymers in the strong segregation limit is presented. The essential difference between this binary multiblock system and the previously considered C-b-(B-b-A)(m)-b-B-b-C ternary multiblock copolymer system is discussed. Considering the situation with long end blocks, the free energy of the lamellar-in-lamellar self-assembled state is analyzed as a function of the number k of "thin" internal lamellar domains for different numbers m of repeating (B-b-A) units and different values of the Flory-Huggins chi(AB) interaction parameter. The theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with the available experimental data.
Klymko
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Department of Polymer Chemistry and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
Subbotin
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Ten Brinke
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