Microphase Segregation in Organic-Inorganic Randomly Grafted Copolymers

ORAL

Abstract

We have studied the microphase ordering of Polybutadiene-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (PBD-POSS) randomly grafted copolymers using High Temperature Small Angle X-Ray Scattering and TEM. The polybutadiene forms the backbone of these copolymers whereas POSS cubic nanoparticles are grafted randomly along the backbone. In the bulk morphology, these molecules self-assemble due to the aggregation of the POSS nanoparticles and form randomly orientated two-dimensional lamellar sheets of POSS in the polybutadiene matrix. Our results show that the wave vector of the lamellar phase formed by these randomly grafted copolymers, has a temperature dependence different from either linear random copolymers or block copolymers. Our results are in consistent with the recently established randomly grafted copolymer mean-field theory and experiments.

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Authors

  • Engin Burgaz

  • Lei Zheng

  • Gregoire Cardoen

  • E. Bryan Coughlin

  • 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