Break | AIChE

Break

Polymer networks are porous, rigid, and can be used as templates for optical devices and batteries, but the inherent disorder lowers their efficiency for use in applications. To overcome these limitations, the present study aims to develop strategies to synthesize ordered networks at the nanoscale, created from the self-assembly of triblock copolymers. Currently, these morphologies are only stable in narrow regions of a multidimensional phase diagram, making them difficult to synthesize and use in applications. The goal of this study is to propose alternate conditions that stabilize the morphologies by understanding relationships between molecular conformations and microstructure. We model the self-assembly of poly(isoprene-block-styrene-block-ethylene oxide) commonly synthesized in experiments using coarse-grained computer simulations. We simultaneously measure microstructure data (structure factor) and molecular data (mean square end-to-end distance and bond-length dist
ributions), which suggest that longer polymers improve network stability and can be synthesized for a wider range of network porosities.