Directing the self-assembly of block copolymers into a metastable complex network phase via a deep and rapid quench.
The free-energy landscape of self-assembling block copolymer systems is characterized by a multitude of metastable minima. Using particle-based simulations of a soft, coarse-grained model, we explore opportunities to reproducibly direct the spontaneous ordering of these self-assembling systems into a metastable complex network morphology--specifically, Schoen's I-WP periodic minimal surface--starting from a highly unstable state that is generated by a rapid expansion. This process-directed self-assembly provides an alternative to fine-tuning molecular architecture or blending for fabricating complex network structures. Comparing our particle-based simulation results to recently developed free-energy techniques, we critically assess their ability to predict spontaneous formation and highlight the importance of nonequilibrium molecular conformations in the starting state and the local conservation of density.
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Marcus
M
Müller
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
De-Wen
DW
Sun