Abstract
Block copolymer particles with controlled morphologies are of great significance in nanomaterials and nanotechnology. However, ordered inverse morphologies are difficult to achieve due to complex mechanism and formation conditions. Here we report scalable preparation of amphiphilic alternating block copolymer particles with inverse bicontinuous mesophases via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA). Concentrated dispersion copolymerizations (up to 40% solid content) of styrene (St) and pentafluorostyrene (PFS) employing a short poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA29) stabilizer block lead to the formation of well-defined, highly asymmetric PDMA29-b-P(St-alt-PFS)x block copolymers with precise compositions and various morphologies, from simple spheres to ordered inverse cubosome mesophases. The particle morphology is affected by the molecular weight, solid content, and nature of the cosolvents. The cubosome structure is confirmed by electron microscopies and small angle X-ray scattering spectroscopy. This scalable PISA approach offers facile access to ordered inverse mesophases, significantly expanding the PISA morphology scope and enabling its applicability to the materials science fields.
Highlights
Block copolymer particles with controlled morphologies are of great significance in nanomaterials and nanotechnology
To understand the effect of key parameters leading to the formation of cubosome, the total solid content and molecular weight of PDMA stabilizer block were adjusted, and the resulting morphologies were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
An efficient and scalable polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) approach is demonstrated for the preparation of Block copolymer (BCP) particles with inverse mesophases, with the observation of an extended morphological transition sequence from initial spheres to final inverse mesophases as the DP of the core-forming block increases (Fig. 6)
Summary
Block copolymer particles with controlled morphologies are of great significance in nanomaterials and nanotechnology. The sphere→worm→vesicle→LCV→sponge→cubosome morphological evolution, with the successful capture of several intermediate morphologies such as jellyfish and ill-defined bicontinuous structures, represents the most extended morphological transition sequence observed in PISA and provides important insights into the morphological transition mechanism for amorphous BCPs. The morphology of the PDMA29-b-P(St-alt-PFS)x particles was studied by TEM.
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