Architecture of Polymeric Superstructures Constructed by Mesoscopically Ordered Cubic Lattices

Abstract

AbstractHighly monodisperse crosslinked core‐shell polymer microspheres could be prepared easily by introducing special crosslinking reagents into the segregated core in block copolymer assembly films. The crosslinked core was stabilized sterically by highly branched shell chains in solution. These microspheres moved like pseudo‐latex. The microspheres formed a lattice with a body‐centered cubic (BCC) structure near the overlap threshold (C*). This structure changed to a face‐centered cubic (FCC) lattice in the bulk region of the films. Photofunctionalized core‐shell microspheres were prepared by introducing dithiocarbamate (DC) groups into shell parts by means of polymer reactions, where DC groups could be propagated using vinyl monomers such as methyl methacrylate (MMA) with living radical mechanism. Polymeric superstructure (three microphase‐separated structure) films were constructed by graft copolymerization of MMA initiated with photofunctionalized microspheres such as macroinitiators under UV irradiation, exhibiting self‐coloring due to Bragg diffraction. These materials can be used for the construction of optical devices such as for the fabrication of light modulators. Photograph of a solution of the microsphere in MMA.magnified imagePhotograph of a solution of the microsphere in MMA.