Abstract
The preparation of well-arranged nano-porous thin films from an ABA triblock copolymer of polystyrene-block-poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-block-polystyrene (PS-PNaSS-PS) is reported. This copolymer was self-assembled in a N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)/water mixture and the resulting micellar solution was used to prepare thin films via the compact packing of the flower-like micelles using spin coating method. The films were characterized by several microscopy techniques such as TEM, AFM, and SEM. Permeation test was performed to highlight the interconnected porous nature of the polymeric network obtained. Under applied water pressure, the micellar morphology was altered and a partial fusion of the micelles was observed that resulted in a change in the water permeability. Such hydrophilic nanoporous thin films with negatively charged interface could find applications in membrane filtration.
Highlights
Materials made of block copolymer assembly facilitate the construction of complex regular structures by using simple process
The RAFT synthesis of the triblock copolymer PS10K -PNaSS10K -PS10K was performed in two steps as reported previously [44,45]
The synthesized near monodisperse PS macro-chain transfer agent (CTA) was dissolved in DMF
Summary
Materials made of block copolymer assembly facilitate the construction of complex regular structures by using simple process. Copolymers can micro-phase separate into well-defined structures in solution, in bulk, and in thin films, creating a library of structures and assemblies [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. These well-arranged structures have been used in various nanotechnological fields from drug delivery to solar cells and membranes [2,14,15,16]. Porous materials have been made via phase inversion process [22], etching [23], and photo-degradation [20]
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