Single chain conformations in the system of symmetric and asymmetric diblock copolymers

Abstract

A theory which describes a local structure and global properties of a diblock copolymer melt has been developed in the framework of the one-loop self-consistent approximation. We have derived expressions for the sizes of a single diblock macromolecule and its parts. Two different behaviors of single macromolecule conformations in the disordered melt have been obtained depending on the asymmetry of chains and morphologies occurring in ordered states after the order-disorder transition (ODT). In the nearly symmetric melt, 0.35 < f ≤ 0.5 (f is a composition), the blocks of both types shrink a little initially as the temperature decreases and then, at some temperature, they begin to swell. In strongly asymmetric melts, f < 0.35, the block of a macromolecule which consists of the monomers of minority type shrinks monotonically, while the other block monotonically swells. We have found nearly Gaussian behavior of the individual blocks and stretching near the chemical bond joining the blocks. Near the ODT the chains are stretched with a magnitude which is of the order of a few percent of their Gaussian sizes. We have calculated the peak position in the scattering curve as a function of the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, composition and degree of polymerization. Less then 5% change in the size of copolymer molecules lead to a 25% shift of the scattering peak in comparison to the Gaussian limit. We have found a good quantitative agreement of our theoretical results with the experimental neutron scattering data.