Work

Nucleation and growth in order-to-order transitions of a block copolymer

Year: 2000

Type: article

Abstract: A poly(isoprene-b-ethyleneoxide) diblock undergoes multiple ordered state transitions: from a crystalline lamellar (L c ), to a hexagonal (Hex) mesophase, to a bicontinuous cubic phase (Gyroid) before disordering (Dis). We have studied the kinetics of the Hex-to-Gyroid, Hex-to-L c and L c -to-Gyroid transitions using synchrotron SAXS and rheology. The Hex-to-Gyroid transformation proceeds via a nucleation and growth mechanism with a small mismatch between the two phases, as anticipated by recent theoretical predictions (M. W. Matsen, Phys. Rev. Lett. , 80 (1998) 4470). We provide the first quantitative measure of the activation barrier involved in an order-to-order transition and show the importance of nucleation and growth in these transformations.

Source: Europhysics Letters (EPL)

DOI: 10.1209/epl/i2000-00252-0

Authors: G Floudas, R Ulrich, U Wiesner, B Chu

Institutions: FORTH Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, State University of New York, Stony Brook University

Language: English

Topic: Block Copolymer Self-Assembly

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W2161536709

FWCI: 2.646

Cites: 22

Cited by: 41

Related to: 10