Coherent States Field Theory for Supramolecular Miktoarm Star Polymers

Supramolecular polymeric materials are bonded through non-covalent interactions. These dynamic interactions lead to unique thermoplastic properties, such as decrease in viscosity upon heating and self-healing. In this study, we explore the use of AB_n miktoarm star copolymer and Bn star homopolymer with terminal functional groups as supramolecular building blocks to construct a network. This network is designed to preserve the deflected microphase boundaries of non-reactive AB_n but with enhanced mechanical properties at low temperatures and better processability at high temperatures. To study such systems, we apply the coherent states (CS) field-theoretic representation in tandem with a mean-field approximation. The CS framework, which automatically enumerates all possible reaction products, plays a crucial role in understanding the structure and properties of intricate networks. We illustrate the impact of varying sizes of B_n star homopolymers on both phase behavior and chain connectivity. Quasi-static elastic properties of the supramolecular network with accompanying mesophase structure were explored and compared with non-reactive miktoarm stars.