Small-angle x-ray scattering of distorted lamellar structures

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) intensity for the lamellar structure of polymeric materials has been formulated with consideration of structural defects such as the finiteness of the lamellar stack, the lamellar bend, and the paracrystalline distortions. In particular, the effects of the lamellar bend on the SAXS profile have been elucidated on the basis of Vonk'xss formula γ₁(x) – γ(x)exp(?2x/d). Here, the scattering profile due to the lamellar bend is shown to be expressed by a Cauchy function. The integral breadth is equal to 2π/d, being independent of the order of scattering. As an example of the SAXS analysis based on the theory, the characterization of the lamellar structure in the “hard” elastic polypropylene films is reported. The long period and the lamellar thickness are evaluated from the correlation function, and the distortion length and Hosemann's g factor are estimated according to the procedure presented here. On the basis of these structural parameters, the relationship between the manufacturing process and the lamellar structure of the polypropylene films is discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of selected structural parameters of styrene–butadiene block copolymers on their compatibilization efficiency in polystyrene/polybutadiene blends

The effects of the block length and block number of linear styrene–butadiene (S–B) block copolymers on their compatibilization efficiency in blending polystyrene with polybutadiene were studied. For this purpose, two sets of model S–B copolymers and both homopolymers were prepared by anionic polymerization. Diblocks, triblocks, or pentablocks of S–B copolymers were blended with these homopolymers, and the structures and some end‐use properties of the blends were determined. The supramolecular structure (determined by small‐angle X‐ray scattering), morphology (determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy), and stress‐transfer characteristics (impact and tensile strengths) of the blends were chosen as criteria for the compatibilization efficiency of the copolymers used. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2612–2623, 2002     

Synthesis of block copolymers based on poly(2,3-epithiopropylmethacrylate) via RAFT polymerization and preliminary investigations on thin film formation

New block copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution based on (2,3-epithiopropylmethacrylate) (ETMA), methylmethacrylate (MMA) and n-butylmethacrylate (nBMA) have been successfully synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization. First, RAFT homopolymerization of ETMA and MMA was carried out using 2-(2-cyanopropyl) dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as the chain transfer agent (CTA) and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. PETMA-b-P(nBMA) copolymers were synthesized using PETMA homopolymers as the macro-chain transfer agent (MCTA), while PMMA-b-PETMA diblock copolymers were synthesized using PMMA as the MCTA. The evolution of the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the homo- and co-polymers were compatible with the RAFT polymerization features. Thin films from the block copolymers were prepared by spin coating a 1 wt% polymer solution from toluene, chloroform or THF. After the preparation, the films were annealed under 80% vapor pressure of chloroform for 1, 2 and 4 h and investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The most interesting results were found in the films prepared using PETMA-b-P(nBMA) copolymers (). The observed images suggested the formation of hybrid lamellar structures, ascribed to the combination of its higher molecular weight and solvents viscosity.     

Grazing-incidence transmission small angle X-ray scattering from thin films of block copolymers

Thin films of lamellar and cylindrical block copolymers are popular systems for low-cost nanolithography. To be useful as nanoscale templates, the lamellae or cylinders must be oriented perpendicular to the substrate. Domain orientations are usually characterized by microscopy measurements of the film surface, but these techniques cannot detect tilted, bent, or tortuous domains in the film interior. We report a simple method to quantify out-of-plane disorder in thin films of block copolymers based on a variant of grazing-incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS). A typical GI-SAXS experiment illuminates the center of a substrate-supported film at a grazing angle of incidence (near the film/substrate critical angle), and the strong reflected signal is interpreted with the distorted-wave Born approximation. In a new approach, the beam footprint is moved to the far edge of the sample, allowing the acquisition of a transmission pattern. The grazing-incidence transmission data are interpreted with the simple Born approximation, and out-of-plane defects are quantified through analysis of crystal truncation rods and partial Debye-Scherrer rings. Significantly, this study demonstrates that grazing-incidence transmission small angle X-ray scattering can detect and quantify the buried defect structure in thin films of block copolymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

Processing-structure-mechanical property relationships of semicrystalline polyolefin-based block copolymers

The incremental plastic deformation of the crystals of block copolymers made of semicrystalline polypropylene endblocks and amorphous ethylene-r-propylene midblocks occurring during step cycle tensile tests has dramatic effects on the stress-strain curves. This can be understood from the evolution of the morphology and of the microstructure of the crystalline blocks revealed by X-ray scattering experiments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1428–1437, 2010     

Crystallization and structure formation of block copolymers containing a glassy amorphous component

Formation of higher‐order structure in crystallization from microphase‐separated melts was studied for polystyrene–polyethylene (PS–PE) diblock copolymers and PS–PE–PS triblock copolymers with time‐resolved synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SR–SAXS) techniques. The PE block was crystallized at temperatures when the PS block was in the glassy state. In both crystallization and melting processes, only the peak intensity in the SR–SAXS curve changed, however, the peak positions including higher‐order peaks did not change. This means that the microphase‐structure in the crystalline state was completely the same as that in the molten state. These behaviors were observed regardless of any melt microphase structure. Also, once a stable microphase structure was formed in the molten state, the structure was not changed even if crystallization and melting were repeated. Behavior of crystallization from such microphase‐separated melts was also studied. Apparent activation energies of crystallization were high for all block copolymers, compared with that for the PE homopolymer. In particular, the triblock copolymers showed higher apparent activation energies than the diblock copolymers. Both degrees of crystallinity and Avrami indices were greatly suppressed in crystallization from the cylindrical domain. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4199–4206, 2004     

Imaging of block copolymer vesicles in solvated state by wet scanning transmission electron microscopy

Morphology of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) vesicles was imaged by various modes of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including recently developed wet scanning transmission electron microscopy (wet-STEM) by means of which we were able to follow the decrease in the thickness of a liquid solvent layer around the vesicles during controlled evaporation of water from the sample. Results show that wet-STEM allows for imaging of nanosized polymeric particles in the presence of the solvent.     

Self‐healing of high elasticity block copolymers

A new route for adding self‐healing properties to soluble polymers is presented briefly. Self‐healing block copolymers (polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene block‐polystyrene from Sigma‐Aldrich) were obtained by dissolving the polymer in a solvent that neither dissolves the microbubbles nor deactivate the Grubbs catalyst. The self‐healing block copolymer has been obtained by mixing the polymer, the solvent, the microbubbles filled with monomer (dicyclopentadiene), and the Grubbs' catalyst followed by the evaporation of the solvent. The structure of self‐healed high elasticity block copolymer has been investigated by optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Raman spectroscopy and mechanical data suggested that the block copolymer exhibits self‐healing features. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Removal of poly(methyl methacrylate) in diblock copolymers films studied by grazing incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering

Self‐assembly of diblock copolymers (BCP) into periodic arrays is a promising route to generate templates for the fabrication of nanoscopic elements, when one block is selectively removed. In cylindrical morphology polystyrene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS‐b‐PMMA) copolymer (BCP) films, the efficiency of different processes for removing the PMMA from cylinders is studied using grazing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS), x‐ray reflectivity and critical dimension scanning electron microscopy. The detailed analysis of the GISAXS patterns leads to the determination of the depth of cylindrical holes left by removal of the PMMA. It is found that the combination of a preliminary UV exposure followed by a wet treatment allows to remove totally the PMMA blocks. Furthermore, the optimization of both UV exposition time and solvent allows to preserve the PS matrix and interestingly for nanolithographic applications to decrease the process costs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1137–1144     

Compatabilization of polystyrene/polypropylene blends by styrene–butadiene block copolymers with differing polystyrene block lengths

Compatibilization of polystyrene/polypropylene (PS/PP) blends, by use of a series of butadiene–styrene block copolymers was studied by means of small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compatibilizers used differ in molar mass and the number of blocks. It was shown that the ability of a block copolymer (BC) to participate in the formation of an interfacial layer (and hence in compatibilization) is closely associated with the molar mass of styrene blocks. If the styrene blocks are long enough to form entanglements with the styrene homopolymer in the melt, then the BC is trapped inside this phase of the PS/PP blends, and its migration to the PS/PP interface is difficult. In this case, the BC does not participate in the formation of the interfacial layer nor, consequently, in the compatibilization process. On the other hand, the BC's with the molar mass of the PS blocks below the critical value are proved to be localized at the PS/PP interface. This preferable entrapping of some styrene–butadiene BC's in the PS phase of the PS/PP blend is, of course, connected to the differing miscibility of the BC blocks with corresponding components of this blend. Although the styrene block is chemically identical to the styrene homopolymer in the blend, the butadiene block is similar to the PP phase. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1647–1656, 1999     

Simulation of local ion transport in lamellar block copolymer electrolytes based on electron micrographs

A method is presented to relate local morphology and ionic conductivity in a solid, lamellar block copolymer electrolyte for lithium batteries, by simulating conductivity through transmission electron micrographs. The electrolyte consists of polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide salt (SEO/LiTFSI), where the polystyrene phase is structural phase and the poly(ethylene oxide)/LiTFSI phase is ionically conductive. The electric potential distribution is simulated in binarized micrographs by solving the Laplace equation with constant potential boundary conditions. A morphology factor, f, is reported for each image by calculating the effective conductivity relative to a homogenous conductor. Images from two samples are examined, one annealed with large lamellar grains and one unannealed with small grains. The average value of f is 0.45 ± 0.04 for the annealed sample, and 0.37 ± 0.03 for the unannealed sample, both close to the value predicted by effective medium theory, 1/2. Simulated conductivities are compared to published experimental conductivities. The value of f_Unannealed/f_Annealed is 0.82 for simulations and 6.2 for experiments. Simulation results correspond well to predictions by effective medium theory but do not explain the experimental measurements. Observation of nanoscale morphology over length scales greater than the size of the micrographs (～1 μm) may be required to explain the experimental results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 266–274     

Morphology and micromechanical behaviour of styrene/butadiene block copolymers and their blends with polystyrene

The correlation between the morphology and the deformation mechanism in styrene/butadiene block copolymers having modified architecture and in blends with homopolymer polystyrene (hPS) was studied. It was demonstrated that the morphology formation in the block copolymers is highly coupled with their molecular architecture. In particular, the micromechanical behaviour of a star block copolymer and its blends with polystyrene was investigated by using electron microscopy and tensile testing. A homogeneous plastic flow of polystyrene lamellae (thin layer yielding) was observed if the lamella thickness was in the range of 20 nm. The deformation micromechanism switched to the formation of craze-like deformation zones when the average PS lamella thickness changed to about 30 nm and more.     

Atomic force microscopic studies of novel arborescent block and linear triblock polystyrene-polyisobutylene copolymers

This paper reports the investigation of the nanostructured surface morphology of novel arborescent polyisobutylene-block-polystyrene (PIB-PS) copolymers, in comparison with linear PS-PIB-PS triblock copolymers, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode. Arborescent PIB-PS samples displayed interesting new phase morphologies, which changed dramatically upon annealing but remained irregular. Linear PS-PIB-PS samples showed morphologies similar to those previously found by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in cryomicrotomed bulk samples, ranging from spherical/cylindrical to lamellar nanometer-sized discreet PS phases dispersed in a continuous PIB matrix. Annealing the samples resulted in more ordered structures.Three-dimensional AFM image and section analysis indicated a height difference between PIB and PS in the block copolymers, which became more prominent during annealing. This feature was verified on compression moulded and protein coated samples. The arborescent PIB-PS materials displayed thermoplastic elastomeric behaviour with a tensile strength between 7 and 10 MPa and elongation ranging from 1000% to 1830%. In comparison, linear triblock samples had a tensile strength between 7 and 20 MPa and elongation ranging from 380% to 640%. Block copolymers with irregular elastomeric midsegments may emerge as a new class of TPEs.     

Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of Nafion®/[silicon oxide] and Nafion®/ORMOSIL nanocomposites

The small angle X-ray scattering technique was used to probe structural heterogeneity on the scale of nanometers within Nafion®/[silicon oxide], Nafion®/[ORMOSIL], and Nafion®/[dimethylsiloxane] hybrid membranes. The results of this study reinforced the working hypothesis of morphological template action for the in situ growth of silicon oxide, or organically modified silicon oxide phases in perfluorosulfonate ionomers via sol-gel reactions for silicon alkoxide or/and silicon alkylalkoxide precursors. Nanophase separation persists when incorporated silicon oxide particles are postreacted with ethoxytrimethylsilane but postreaction with diethoxydimethylsilane generates co-continuous phases that do not generate ionomer SAXS peaks, presumably due to a more homogeneous Si atom distribution within the ionomer. These hybrids are true nanocomposites, as structural heterogeneity exists on the scale of ∼ 5 nm. The variation of the small angle upturn for these hybrids is explained in terms of long-range inhomogeneities in ionomers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Light scattering studies of copolymers. 1. Soluble hemoglobin--dextran complexes

Complexes between dextrans of different molar mass and bovine hemoglobin were synthesized by two different methods. In the alkylation method three and in the dialdehyde method, two hemoglobins are coupled on average to one dextran molecule. In both cases, the soluble hemoglobin-dextran complexes reversibly bind and release oxygen; the oxygen affinity is greater than that of free hemoglobin. Static and dynamic light scattering was used to determine the average molar mass M_u, the radius of gyration 〈S〉, and the hydrodynamic radius R_h of both the complexes and the single dextrans. Interpretation of these data is complicated due to the fact that the complexes are copolymers. When appropriate approximations are made, the results indicate that the complexes have a spherical shape and an internal structure of a multiple-chain network, where several dextrans are linked together by the hemoglobins. The number of single dextrans per complex increases as the molar mass of the single dextrans is decreased. The increment is greater in the dialdehyde than in the alkylation method. The probable reason is that in the dialdehyde method one hemoglobin can connect many dextrans simultaneously while in the alkylation method a hemoglobin is able to link maximally two dextrans. The ratio of the radius of gyration to the hydrodynamic radius decreases as the temperature is increased. This suggests a decrease of the solvent penetration length for the complexes and can be interpreted on the basis of the Deutsch-Felderhof theory for porous spheres. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fabrication of polymeric nano-objects using PS5P2VP5 heteroarm star copolymers as building elements

This work is focused on the self-organization of an heteroarm star copolymer consisting of 5 polystyrene and 5 poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) arms emanated from a poly(divinyl benzene) core and the chemical stabilization of the resulting supramolecular nano-objects in the bulk and in solution. To tune various morphologies from the same star copolymer, selective and nonselective solvent media were used. Thepyridine moieties, forming distinct P2VP nanodomains in the copolymer nanostructures, were selectively crosslinked using 1,4-dibromobutane under mild conditions to yield stabilized polymeric “hairy” nano-objects, dispersible in hot tetrahydrofuran. The morphology of the resulting nanostructures was studied using scanning electron microscopy and was found to be strongly dependent on various factors, such as the self-assembly/casting conditions, the total time of the crosslinking reaction, and the dispersion procedure. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1636–1641, 2010     

Characterization of polymer materials by scattering techniques,with applications to block copolymers

The application of six techniques—static and dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, neutron and X-ray reflectivity—to the characterization of polymer materials is summarized. Emphasis is placed on the similarities and differences among the various techniques, and on recent advances in experimental practice. Twelve examples from the recent literature are described, most of which concern block copolymers. A brief introduction to block copolymer properties is also provided.