Self-assembly of Asymmetric Dimer Particles in Supported Copolymer Bilayer

Using self-consistent field and density functional theories, we investigate the self-assembly behavior of asymmetric dimer particles in a supported AB block copolymer bilayer. Asym-metric dimer particles are amphiphilic molecules composed by two different spheres. One prefers to A block of copolymers and the other likes B block when they are introduced into the copolymer bilayer. The two layer structure of the dimer particles is formed within the bilayer. Due to the presence of the substrate surface, the symmetry of the two leaflets of the bilayer is broken, which may lead to two different layer structures of dimer particles within each leaflet of the bilayer. With the increasing concentration of the asymmetric dimer particles, in-plane structure of the dimer particles undergoes sparse square, hexagonal, dense square, and cylindrical structures. In a further condensed packing, a bending cylindrical structurecomes into being. Here we verify that the entropic effect of copolymers, the enthalpy of the system and the steric repulsion of the dimer particles are three important factors determing the self-assembly of dimer particles within the supported copolymer bilayer.