Architectural effect on the surface tension of an ABA triblock copolymer melt

Matsen, M. W. (2010) Architectural effect on the surface tension of an ABA triblock copolymer melt. Macromolecules, 43 (3). pp. 1671-1674. ISSN 0024-9297 doi: 10.1021/ma902173w

Abstract/Summary

The excess surface energy of lamellae formed by an ABA triblock copolymer melt oriented parallel to a neutral surface is evaluated using self-consistent field theory (SCFT). Consistent with experiments and previous SCFT calculations, we find a preference for the A-rich domains at the surface, which can only be attributed to the architectural asymmetry between the A and B blocks. The behavior was previously attributed to a loss of bridging configurations that occurs when the B-domain resides at the surface. Here we demonstrate that it is actually the presence of chain ends that reduces the excess surface energy of an A-rich domain relative that of a B-rich domain.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/7365
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Publisher	American Chemical Society
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