Copolymers as amphiphiles in ternary mixtures: An analysis employing disorder, equimaxima, and Lifshitz lines

Abstract

We study the phase diagram and scattering functions of a ternary mixture of A and B homopolymers, in equal concentrations, and AB diblock copolymer. We locate the disorder line, which marks the appearance of damped oscillatory decaying correlation functions in the system, and also the Lifshitz and equimaxima lines of the structure functions. At these lines, the oscillatory component becomes dominant in a given correlation so that the peak in scattering intensity is no longer at the zero wave vector. We find that while the Lifshitz line of the structure function of all A monomers is quite close to the disorder line, that of A monomers in the homopolymer only is far from it. This shows that the copolymer orders the homopolymers inefficiently, a behavior which is also reflected in the copolymer’s weak ability to solubilize them, and which contrasts with the amphiphilic solubilizers of oil and water. The disorder line and all Lifshitz lines meet at a Lifshitz tricritical point. As these ternary mixtures provide a rare opportunity to study this unusual point, we discuss its effects on the structure functions and surface tensions.