Surface structure of thin asymmetric PS-b-PMMA diblock copolymers investigated by atomic force microscopy

Asymmetric poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymers of molecular weight M-n = 29,700g mol(-1) (M-PS = 9300 g mol(-1) M-PMMA = 20,100 g mol(-1), PD = 1.15, chi(PS) = 0.323, chi(PMMA) = 0.677) and M-n = 63,900 g mol(-1) (M-PS = 50,500 g mol(-1), M-PMMA = 13,400 g mol(-1), PD = 1.18, chi(PS) = 0.790, chi(PMMA) = 0.210) were prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the surface structure of thin films, prepared by spin-coating the diblock copolymers on a silicon substrate. We show that the nanostructure of the diblock copolymer depends on the molecular weight and volume fraction of the diblock copolymers. We observed a perpendicular lamellar structure for the high molar mass sample and a hexagonal-packed cylindrical patterning for the lower molar mass one. Small-angle X-ray scattering investigation of these samples without annealing did not reveal any ordered structure. Annealing of PS-b-PMMA samples at 160 degrees C for 24 h led to a change in surface structure.

A strategy to achieve enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding at ultra-low concentration of multiwall carbon nanotubes in P alpha MSAN/PMMA blends in the presence of a random copolymer PS-r-PMMA

A unique strategy was adopted to achieve an ultra-low electrical percolation threshold of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) (0.25 wt%) in a classical partially miscible blend of poly-alpha-methylstyrene-co-acrylonitrile and poly(methyl methacrylate) (P alpha MSAN/PMMA), with a lower critical solution temperature. The polymer blend nanocomposite was prepared by standard melt-mixing followed by annealing above the phase separation temperature. In a two-step mixing protocol, MWNTs were initially melt-mixed with a random PS-r-PMMA copolymer and subsequently diluted with 85/15 P alpha MSAN/PMMA blends in the next mixing step. Mediated by the PS-r-PMMA, the MWNTs were mostly localized at the interface and bridged the PMMA droplets. This strategy led to enhanced electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness at 0.25 wt% MWNTs through multiple scattering from MWNT-covered droplets, as compared to the blends without the copolymer, which were transparent to electromagnetic radiation.

PS-b-PEO嵌段共聚物薄膜的结晶与微相分离

半结晶性嵌段共聚物中，嵌段间的不相容性导致的微相分离与结晶嵌段的结晶行为之间存在相互竞争与协同作用。现阶段的大部分工作主要集中于半结晶性嵌段共聚物相分离发生后的结晶行为的结晶动力学和内部链折叠，而对于结晶与微相分离同时发生时的结晶与微相分离行为的研究还较少。 本论文以半结晶性的聚苯乙烯和聚环氧乙烷的二嵌段共聚物（PS-b-PEO）薄膜为研究对象，研究其破坏性（break out）结晶行为，以及研究方形片晶与微相分离结构的关系。 首先，本论文研究了不同相分离取向对结晶行为的影响。我们通过控制膜厚得到垂直基底和平行基底的微相分离薄膜。在溶剂蒸汽中，微相分离取向垂直基底时，仅仅是有序度增加，片晶协同生成。退火时间增加，结晶成核控制生长向扩散控制生长转变，导致片晶周围树枝晶生长。微相分离结构为平行基底取向时，焓主要用于取向转变和有序度增加，体系没有片晶生成，仅边缘效应使树枝晶产生。在结晶取向方面，研究了溶剂蒸汽氛围内界面作用改变使分子链轴垂直基底（flat-on）结晶向分子链轴平行基底（edge-on）结晶的转变。随着溶剂分子扩散到基底界面，结晶嵌段PEO与基底相互作用从强变弱，是发生这种转变的决定因素。 其次，从片晶与微相分离相互转变和片晶上微相分离刷的形成两方面研究片晶与微相分离的竞争与协同关系。退火溶剂的选择性影响片晶与微相分离的竞争。在PEO不良溶剂蒸汽环己烷中发生以下转变：片晶生成，逐渐被微相分离破坏，片晶重新生成；PEO良溶剂水中仅存在结晶到微相分离的转变。即晶体溶解，与PS发生微相分离以获得能量上的有利状态。可溶解嵌段的自由体积增加和结晶嵌段的低溶胀性分别是微相分离和结晶发生的关键因素。片晶与微相分离协同关系研究上，通过调控二嵌段共聚物片晶上聚合物刷的密度（小于14.3大于3.8），获得具有微相分离结构的聚合物刷。PS-PS刷的弱相互作用以及PS与PEO（连接PEO片层结构未结晶的PEO链）之间的强不相容性对片层上微相分离刷的形成起来决定作用。

通过阴离子转Ziegler-Natta聚合机理转换合成PS-b-EPM

能够作为聚烯烃材料与其它聚合物材料共混增容剂的、含有聚烯烃链段的嵌段共聚物的合成，对于扩大聚烯烃材料的应用，获得性能优良的共混型聚合物材料具有重要意义。烯烃类单体聚合方法单一，而且其通用的聚合方法，Ziegler-Natta聚合，不是令人满意的合成嵌段共聚物的方法。因此，含有聚烯烃链段的嵌段共聚物的合成一直是比较困难的研究课题之一，近年来发展起来的阴离子转Ziegler-Natta聚合方法为合成这类嵌段共聚物开辟了新途径。阴离子转Ziegler-Natta聚合是利用阴离子聚合所得到的活性聚合物及其反离子与过渡金属化合物组成“Ziegler-Natta”催化剂使烯类单体聚合，从而得到含有聚烯烃链段和阴离子聚合物链段的嵌段共聚物的一种新的合成方法。这种结合两种聚合机理的聚合方法能够有效地避免单一机理聚合方法对单体的要求和限制，从而扩大了嵌段共聚物的合成范围。目前，有关阴离子转Ziegler-Natta聚合方法的研究工作尚属于初步阶段，许多基本问题还没有统一的结论。本工作的目的就是对这一聚合方法的聚合规律，特点等基本问题进行初步探讨，为今后这方面工作的开展奠定初步基础。本工作以阴离子转Ziegler-Natta聚合为方法，以PS-EPM嵌段共聚物为合成对象，并通过对产物的组成、分子量、序列分布、温度转变行为及形态的表征，可初步得到以下结论。1、在较低的催化剂浓度下，可使催化效率比较高。在本聚合体系下，最高可达694克EPM段/克Ti。这一数值与一般非载体钛催化体系相比是比较高的。2、在合适的聚合条件下，如聚合时间较短，聚合温度较低，可得到分子量分布较窄的嵌段共聚物，并且基本上不含有非嵌段烯烃共聚物。3、以聚苯乙烯作为阴离子段聚合物，可发生较明显的β-消除反应，使产物中含有难以分离的烯烃共聚物，本工作以几个单元的聚异戊二烯作为聚苯乙烯活性离子的端基，有效地抑制了β-消除反应的发生，得到了比较纯净的PS-EPM嵌段共聚物。5、由阴离子转来的“Ziegler-Natta聚合具有阴离子聚合和Ziegler-Natta聚合的共同特点，是介于阴离子聚合和Ziegler-Natta聚合之间的一种特殊聚合形式；在聚合初期主要呈现阴离子聚合特征随着聚合的进行，逐渐向具有Ziegler-Natta聚合特征的聚合形式过渡。

PS-b-P4VP/CoSm杂化材料的制备及其磁性能

用溶液相金属盐沉积法在苯乙烯与4-乙烯基吡啶嵌段共聚物(PS-b-P4VP)胶束中制备了平均直径为12 nm的PS-b-P4VP/Co、PS-b-P4VP/CoSm(nCo∶nSm=3.8∶1,13.0∶1)、PS-b-P4VP/Sm纳米粒子。胶束溶液通过高温回流使磁性成核粒子和磁性金属原子的流动能力和扩散能力提高而获得尺寸均一的颗粒。

Microphase-Separated Brushes on Square Platelets in PS-b-PEO Thin Films

In polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) thin square platelets can be obtained via fast solvent evaporation by controlling the tethering density (0.08 < sigma < 0.11). The tethering density of the brushes is proportional to the thickness of the PEO crystal and increases with increasing initial solution heating temperature (T-i). When T-i < T-m, where T-m is the melting point of PEO, brushes with microphase-separated structures are observed. The formation of microphase-separated brushes depends on two factors: the strong incompatibility between PS and noncrystalline PEO chains (attached to the crystalline PEO) and the weak interaction between PS-PS brushes.

Surface morphology evolution of poly (styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP)(H+) and poly(methyl methacrylate)-dibenzo-18-crown-6-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMCMA) supramolecular film

Well-ordered nanostructured polymeric supramolecular thin films were fabricated from the supramolecular assembly of poly(styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP)(H+) and poly(methyl methacrylate)-dibenzo-18-crown-6-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMCMA). A depression Of cylindrical nanodomains was formed by the block of P4VP(H+) and PMCMA associates surrounded by PS. The repulsive force aroused from the incompatibility between the block of P4VP(H+) and PMCMA was varied through changing the molecule weight (M-w) of PMCMA, the volume fraction of the block of P4VP(H+), and annealing the film at high temperature. Increasing the repulsive force led to a change of overall morphology from ordered nanoporous to featureless structures. The effects of solvent nature and evaporation rate on the film morphology were also investigated. Further evolution of surface morphologies from nanoporous to featureless to nanoporous structures was observed upon exposure to carbon bisulfide vapors for different treatment periods. The wettability of the film surface was changed from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity due to the changes of the film surface microscopic composition.

PTHF-b-PMMA/PVC共混体系的相容性和结晶行为

研究了具有焓效应的聚四氢呋喃-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯两嵌段共聚物与聚氯乙烯PTHF-b-PMMA/PVC)共混体系的相容性和结晶行为.结果表明,其相容性比AB/A 型嵌段共聚物共混体系的相容性要好得多;与PTHF 部分相容的PVC 对PTHF 微区的结晶行为可产生很大的影响.应用有关理论和模型很好地解释了结晶行为的这种变化.

Formation of sub-7 nm feature size PS-b-P4VP block copolymer structures by solvent vapour process

The nanometer range structure produced by thin films of diblock copolymers makes them a great of interest as templates for the microelectronics industry. We investigated the effect of annealing solvents and/or mixture of the solvents in case of symmetric Poly (styrene-block-4vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) diblock copolymer to get the desired line patterns. In this paper, we used different molecular weights PS-b-P4VP to demonstrate the scalability of such high χ BCP system which requires precise fine-tuning of interfacial energies achieved by surface treatment and that improves the wetting property, ordering, and minimizes defect densities. Bare Silicon Substrates were also modified with polystyrene brush and ethylene glycol self-assembled monolayer in a simple quick reproducible way. Also, a novel and simple in situ hard mask technique was used to generate sub-7nm Iron oxide nanowires with a high aspect ratio on Silicon substrate, which can be used to develop silicon nanowires post pattern transfer.

Photoinitiating capabilities of vinyl polyperoxides and metamorphosis of block-into-block copolymer

This article describes the first comprehensive study on the use of a vinyl polyperoxide, namely poly(styrene peroxide) (PSP), an equimolar alternating copolymer of oxygen and styrene, as a photoinitiator for free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers like styrene. The molecular weight, yield, structure and thermal stability of polystyrene (PS) thus obtained are compared with PS made using a simple peroxide like di-t-butyl peroxide. Interestingly, the PS prepared using PSP contained PSP segments attached to its backbone preferably at the chain ends. This PSP-PS-PSP was further used as a thermal macroinitiator for the preparation of another block copolymer PS-b-PMMA by reacting PSP-PS-PSP with methyl methacrylate (MMA). The mechanism of block copolymerization has been discussed. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

溶剂诱导嵌段共聚物薄膜的微观相分离

通过研究发现薄膜厚度、溶剂对不同链段的选择性以及溶剂蒸汽处理时间对嵌段共聚物薄膜表面形态的演变有重要影响。对于对称双嵌段共聚物（PS-b-PMMA）薄膜在薄膜厚度小于0.5L_o时，在PMMA的选择性溶剂中处理不同时间时，除了得到垂直的lamellae形态外，还得到了有序纳米孔洞以及有序纳米孔洞和片层共存的新形态。同时其表面组成发生了变化，由最初PS位于表面层而转变为PMMA位于表面层。更进一步，得到的纳米结构图案化的薄膜具有环境敏感性。当将其置于对PS嵌段具有选择性的溶剂蒸汽中时，表面形貌发生了反转。另外研究发现，二元双嵌段共聚物共混体系，即小分子量的PS-b-PMMA和大分子量的PS-b-PMA共混，在硅基底上发生自组装形成具有有序孔洞结构的薄膜。这种结构完全不同于某一组分单独存在时所形成的微相结构。根本原因在于PMA和PMMA嵌段化学结构上的相似性，使PMMA链部分嵌入能量上优先吸附于极性基底的PMA嵌段中，形成了两种分子中的PS相容在一起构成的连续相围绕着塌陷的PMMA相的形态。

高分子薄膜微图案的构筑调控

发展不依赖于传统刻蚀技术的、图案尺寸等可以动态调控的微图案化方法是当前国际上的研究热点。高分子由于可以通过可控聚合调控其预定结构和尺寸，并且具有易于加工和可以嵌入多种化学功能团等特点，是制备不依赖于传统刻蚀技术的价廉、高产的微图案化的理想材料。因而设计具有特定结构的高分子，利用高分子的丰富的相态结构和其在外场等作用下的性质，发展高分子图案化方法、技术和原理具有重要意义。本论文利用高分子的尺度和结构特征以及对外场的响应特性，研究其自组装形成微、纳米图案的影响因素和机理，掌握了调控图案形态、尺寸、表面性质的规律，实现了稳定、有序的智能图案的动态设计。主要内容如下：（1）利用冷凝的水蒸汽液滴为模板，在PS、PMMA等均聚物薄膜上制备了微米尺寸的规则孔洞结构。研究了溶剂性质、聚合物溶液粘度、环境湿度等对规则孔洞形成的影响，观察了孔洞形成的中间过程，提出了孔洞形成的机理。（2）研究了高分子均聚物和以聚合物为基体的发光小分子薄膜在外场（电场、温度场）作用下的长程有序规则排列图案的形成条件和机理，以及外场作用对高分子有序结构的影响因素。静电力和温度梯度使薄膜变得不稳定，表面产生具有一定波长和周期的起伏波，这种波动逐渐增强使薄膜破裂最终形成规则结构。（3）通过研究发现薄膜厚度、溶剂对不同链段的选择性以及溶剂蒸汽处理时间对嵌段共聚物薄膜表面形态的演变有重要影响。对于对称双嵌段共聚物PS-b-PMMA薄膜，在PMMA的选择性溶剂蒸汽中，通过改变溶剂蒸汽对PS-b-PMMA薄膜的溶胀程度和处理时间，得到规则孔洞到条纹转变的一系列纳米结构和规则小球到条纹转变的一系列纳米结构。溶剂蒸汽改变了薄膜边界条件，使富集在基底的PMMA向薄膜表面迁移，使其表面形貌和组成发生变化。通过将此体系与均聚物和短链嵌段共聚物共混，改变链段间的界面张力，可以调控纳米结构的尺寸。更进一步，得到的纳米结构图案化的薄膜具有环境敏感性。当将其置于对PS嵌段具有选择性的溶剂蒸汽中时，变换薄膜的边界条件，表面形貌和性质发生了反转。

Motion of integrated CdS nanoparticles by phase separation of block copolymer brushes

A new method of reversibly moving US nanoparticles in the perpendicular direction was developed on the basis of the phase separation of block copolymer brushes. Polystyrene-b-(poly(methyl methaerylate)-co-poly(cadmium dimethacrylate)) (PS-b-(PMMA-co-PCdMA)) brushes were grafted from the silicon wafer by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). By exposing the polymer brushes to H2S gas, PS-b-(PMNlA-co-PCdNlA) brushes were converted to polystyrene-b-(poly(methyl methacrylate) -co-poly(methacrylic acid)(CdS)) (PS-b-(PMMA-co-PMAA(CdS))) brushes, in which US nanoparticles were chemically bonded by the carboxylic groups of PMAA segment. Alternating treatment of the PS-b-(PMMA-co-PMAA(CdS)) brushes by selective solvents for the outer block (a mixed solvent of acetone and ethanol) and the inner PS block (toluene) induced perpendicular phase separation of polymer brushes, which resulted in the reversible lifting and lowering of US nanoparticles in the perpendicular direction. The extent of movement can be adjusted by the relative thickness of two blocks of the polymer brushes.

The formation of ordered nanoholes in binary, chemically similar, symmetric diblock copolymer blend films

Binary symmetric diblock copolymer blends, that is, low-molecular-weight poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and high-molecular-weight poly(styrene-block-methacrylate) (PS-b-PMA), self-assemble on silicon substrates to form structures with highly ordered nanoholes in thin films. As a result of the chemically similar structure of the PMA and the PMMA block, the PMMA chain penetrates through the large PMA block that absorbs preferentially on the polar silicon substrate. This results in the formation of nanoholes in the PS continuous matrix.

Solvent-induced novel morphologies in diblock copolymer blend thin films

We report the morphology and phase behaviors of blend thin films containing two poly styrene-b-poly (methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) diblock copolymers with different blending compositions induced by a selective solvent for the PMMA block, which were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The neat asymmetric PS-b-PMMA diblock copolymers employed in this study, respectively coded as a(1) and a(2), have similar molecular weights but different volume fractions of PS block (f(PS) = 0.273 and 0.722). Another symmetric PS-b-PMMA diblock copolymer, coded as s, which has a PS block length similar to that of a(1), was also used. For the asymmetric a(1)/a(2) blend thin films, circular multilayered structures were formed. For the asymmetric a(1)/symmetric s blend thin films, inverted phases with PMMA as the dispersed domains were observed, when the weight fraction of s was less than 50%. The origins of the morphology formation in the blend thin films via solvent treatment are discussed. Combined with the theoretical prediction by Birshtein et al. (Polymer 1992, 33, 2750), we interpret the formation of these special microstructures as due to the packing frustration induced by the difference in block lengths and the preferential interactions between the solvent and PMMA block.