Universal Phase Diagrams in Rod-Coil Block Copolymers and Applications to Optoelectronics and Bioinspired Materials

ORAL

Abstract

The thermodynamics of self-assembly of rod-coil block copolymer systems is significantly altered from that of well-characterized coil-coil block copolymers due to the difference in chain topology and the liquid crystalline interactions between rod blocks. As a result, the phase space of rod-coil block copolymers appears to be at least four dimensional (relying on rod-coil and rod-rod interactions as well as two geometrical parameters). Here, we demonstrate that systematic tuning of the rod-rod interactions in conjugated rod-shaped polythiophenes allows for manipulation of the ratio of Maier-Saupe to the Flory-Huggins parameter. This ratio of thermodynamic parameters appears to be crucial in determining morphology and in obtaining long-range order. The fundamental self-assembly of molecules of unusual shapes as well as applications of rod-like block copolymers in optoelectronics and bioinspired materials will be discussed.

–

Authors

  • Rachel A. Segalman

    Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California - Berkeley, UC Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley

  • Victor Ho

    UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, University of California, Berkeley

  • Bryan W. Boudouris

    UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science - University of Minnesota, University of California, Berkeley