Abstract
Enhanced control over crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) of coil-crystalline block copolymers has led to the formation of intricate structures with well-defined morphology and dimensions. While approaches to build those sophisticated structures may strongly differ from each other, they all share a key cornerstone: a polymer crystallite. Here we report a trapping technique that enables tracking of the change in length of one-dimensional (1D) polymer crystallites as they are annealed in solution at different temperatures. Using the similarities between 1D polymeric micelles and bottle-brush polymers, we developed a model explaining how the dissolving crystallites reach a critical size independent of the annealing temperature, and then explode in a cooperative process involving the remaining polymer chains of the crystallites. This model also allows us to demonstrate the role of the distribution in seed core crystallinity on the dissolution of the crystallites.
Highlights
Enhanced control over crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) of coil-crystalline block copolymers has led to the formation of intricate structures with well-defined morphology and dimensions
The two different PFS block copolymers (BCPs) compete for seeded growth on the surviving crystallites to form M(PFS-PI)-r-M(PFS-PDMS)-b-M(PFS-PI)-b-M(PFS-PDMS)-rM(PFS-PI) triblock co-micelles
We find that BCP dissolution occurs until the surviving crystallites reach a critical length, and they dissolve in a process involving a cooperative and concerted motion of all the remaining chains
Summary
Enhanced control over crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) of coil-crystalline block copolymers has led to the formation of intricate structures with well-defined morphology and dimensions. Crystallization of coil-crystalline block copolymers (BCPs) has proven to be an extremely versatile approach to prepare polymer crystals with controlled morphologies[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11], and has generated a broad and growing interest in the polymer community[12,13] The ability of these BCPs to form micelles with an organic or organometallic core opens the possibility of a broad range of applications such as, nanomotors[14,15], model systems for biological structures[16], nanocarriers for gene delivery[17,18] or semi-conducting nanowires[19]. We observe that the critical length does not depend on the annealing temperature
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
