Polystyrene-based blend nanorods with gradient composition distribution

The polystyrene-based polymer blends, partially miscible poly(bisphenol A carbonate)/polystyrene (PC/PS) and completely miscible poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide)/polystyrene (PPO/PS), in nanorods with gradient composition distribution were discussed. The polymer blend nanorods were prepared by infiltrating the polymer blends into nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates via capillary action. Their morphology was investigated by micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR) and nano-thermal analysis (nano-TA) with spatial resolution. The composition gradient of polymer blends in the nanopores is governed by the difference of viscosity and miscibility between the two polymers in the blends and the pore diameter. The capillary wetting of porous AAO templates by polymer blends offers a unique method to fabricate functional nanostructured materials with gradient composition distribution for the potential application to nanodevices.