title: Uniform "Patchy" Platelets by Seeded Heteroepitaxial Growth of Crystallizable Polymer Blends in Two Dimensions.
abstract: Rectangular platelets formed by the self-assembly of block copolymers in selective solvents are of interest for a range of applications. Recently, we showed that the seeded growth of crystallizable blends of a block copolymer and homopolymer yields well-defined, low area dispersity examples of these two-dimensional (2D) structures. The key feature was the use of the same crystallizable polymer segment in the seed and blend components to enable an efficient homoepitaxial growth process. Herein we demonstrate that this 2D crystallization-driven self-assembly approach can be extended to heteroepitaxial growth by the use of different crystallizable polymers with compatible crystal structures. This allows the formation of well-defined "patchy" rectangular platelets and platelet block comicelles with different core chemistries. The use of scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy provided key information on the spatial location of the components in the resulting assemblies and thereby valuable insight into the 2D heteroepitaxial growth process.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6504-582X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazemi
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Liam R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Harniman
authors.affiliation: UES, Inc. and Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory , Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, United States.
authors.forename: Ming-Siao
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
authors.forename: Mitchell A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2673-2141
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Winnik
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charl F J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6224-3073
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Faul
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manners