title: Self-assembly behavior of ABA coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers: a Brownian dynamics simulation approach.
abstract: The self-assembly behavior of ABA coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers in a selective solvent was studied by a Brownian molecular dynamics simulation method. It was found that the rod midblock plays an important role in the self-assembly of the copolymers. With a decrease in the segregation strength, ɛ(RR), of rod pairs, the aggregate structure first varies from a smecticlike disk shape to a long twisted string micelle and then to small aggregates. The influence of the block length and the asymmetry of the triblock copolymer on the phase behavior were studied and the corresponding phase diagrams were mapped. It was revealed that the variation of these parameters has a profound effect on microstructure. The simulation results are consistent with experimental results. Compared to rod-coil diblock copolymers, the coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers has a larger entropy penalty associated with the interfacial grafting density of the aggregate, leading to a higher ɛ(RR) value for structural transitions.
authors: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
authors: Yongliang
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Shaoliang
authors: S
authors: Lin
authors: Xiaohua
authors: X
authors: He
authors: Jiaping
authors: J
authors: Lin
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Jiang