Article Title

Controllable nanostructural transitions in grafted nanoparticle-block copolymer composites

Authors

Guang-Kui Xu, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xi-Qiao Feng, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Shou-Wen Yu, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Keywords

Block copolymer, nanocomposite, pattern formation, self-assembly, self-consistent field theory

Abstract

We report a theoretical investigation of self-assembled nanostructures of polymer-grafted nanoparticles in a block copolymer and explore underlying physical mechanisms by employing the self-consistent field method. By varying the particle concentration or the chain length and density of the grafted polymer, one can not only create various ordered morphologies (e.g., lamellar or hexagonally packed patterns) but also control the positions of nanoparticles either at the copolymer interfaces or in the center of one-block domains. The nanostructural transitions we here report are mainly attributed to the competition between entropy and enthalpy.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-1039-8

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Guang-Kui Xu,Xi-Qiao Feng,Shou-Wen Yu, Controllable nanostructural transitions in grafted nanoparticle-block copolymer composites. NanoRes.2010, 3: 356–362