Stability of Core-Shell-Cylinder Structure of Poly(styrene-b-1,3-cyclohexadiene) Diblock Copolymers

ORAL

Abstract

A new free energy model for rod-coil block copolymer systems is proposed in which the distortion splay energy of continuum elasticity theory is incorporated into the rod domain energies. The model is applied to explain the stability of a core-shell-cylinder morphology which was observed by Gido and coworkers for diblock copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly-(1,3-cyclohexadiene) (PCHD). Based on its Kuhn length, the PCHD block can be treated as a rod. The model suggests that the core-shell-cylinder structure is energetically favorable for this system compared to a solid cylinder structure.

Authors

  • Ashoutosh Panday

    • Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
    • University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

  • Samuel Gido

    • Dept. of Polymer Sci. and Eng., Univ. of Mass., Amherst, MA 01003
    • Dep. of Polymer Science and Eng., Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
    • Univ. of Massachussetts, Amherst
    • Polymer Science and Engineering, Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst
    • Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

  • Kunlun Hong

  • Jimmy Mays

    • The University of Tennessee
    • Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996