title: A Morphological Transition of Inverse Mesophases of a Branched-Linear Block Copolymer Guided by Using Cosolvents.
abstract: We report here a strategy for influencing the phase and lattice of the inverse mesophases of a single branched-linear block copolymer (BCP) in solution which does not require changing the structure of the BCP. The phase of the self-assembled structures of the block copolymer can be controlled ranging from bilayer structures of positive curvature (polymersomes) to inverse mesophases (triply periodic minimal surfaces and inverse hexagonal structures) by adjusting the solvent used for self-assembly. By using solvent mixtures to dissolve the block copolymer we were able to systematically change the affinity of the solvent toward the polystyrene block, which resulted in the formation of inverse mesophases with the desired lattice by self-assembly of a single branched-linear block copolymer. Our method was also applied to a new solution self-assembly method for a branched-linear block copolymer on a stationary substrate under humidity, which resulted in the formation of large mesoporous films. Our results constitute the first controlled transition of the inverse mesophases of block copolymers by adjusting the solvent composition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea).
authors.forename: Yunju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: La
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea).
authors.forename: Tae Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: UNIST Central Research Facility (UCRF), UNIST, 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea).
authors.forename: Tae Joo
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea). cpark@unist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chiyoung
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea). ktkim@unist.ac.kr.|KIST-UNIST Ulsan Center for Convergence Materials, 50 UNIST Road, Ulsan 689-798 (Korea). ktkim@unist.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyoung Taek
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: block copolymers; inverse mesophases; mesoporous structures; minimal surfaces; self-assembly