Thickness-Dependent Order-to-Order Transitions of Bolaform-like Giant Surfactant in Thin Films

Reticulation of Block Copolymer Nanostructures from Perforation

This work aims to examine a variety of metastable phases from the controlled self-assembly of a lamellae-forming polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) and its blends with a PDMS homopolymer. Kinetically trapped phases including hexagonally perforated lamellae (HPL), double diamond (DD), and double gyroid (DG) can be obtained from the blends, making it feasible to investigate the transition mechanisms from perforation to reticulation for the formation of network phases (i.e., DD and DG) as evidenced by temperature-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. Most interestingly, on the basis of the 3D reconstruction of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images (electron tomography), an epitaxial relationship between the [001] direction of HPL and the [111] direction for DG and DD phases for the transformations from HPL to DG and DD, respectively, can be clearly identified. Specifically, the 3D double networks of PDMS are initiated from the parallel PDMS layers with PS perforation, forming the topological building units for the gyroid (trigonal planar texture) and diamond (tetrapod texture) phases. As a result, this finding may fill up the lost parts of the morphological evolution from perforation to reticulation in terms of topological transformations.

Structural evolution and nanodomain formation in blend films of a block copolymer and homopolymer

This study explores the concurrent formation of surface perforations, parallel cylinders, and double gyroids in symmetric PS-b-PMMA/hPS blend films during isothermal annealing at 205 and 240 °C. By controlling the weight fraction ratio of PS-b-PMMA to hPS at 75/25, we systematically examined the impact of film thickness and annealing temperature on nanodomain development. Using in situ GISAXS and ex situ SEM, we observed that thin films rapidly formed surface perforations and underlying parallel cylinders at both annealing temperatures. For thicker films, annealing at 205 °C resulted in the coexistence of surface perforations and parallel cylinders, while annealing at 240 °C yielded the additional formation of double gyroids besides surface perforations and parallel cylinders. Furthermore, the double gyroids, which grew independently with {121}DG planes parallel to the substrate, did not exhibit in-plane epitaxial relationships with the other structures. These findings highlight the critical role of annealing temperature and film thickness in directing nanodomain morphology, offering new insights for the design of nanostructured materials with tailored properties.

Epitaxial Growth of Surface Perforations on Parallel Cylinders in Terraced Films of Block Copolymer/Homopolymer Blends

Due to incommensurability between initial thickness and interdomain distance, thermal annealing inevitably produces relief surface terraces (islands and holes) of various morphologies in thin films of block copolymers. We have demonstrated three kinds of surface terraces in blend films: polygrain terraces with diffuse edges, polygrain terraces with step edges, and pseudo-monograin terraces with island coarsening. The three morphologies were obtained by three different thermal histories, respectively. The thermal histories were imposed on blend films, which were prepared by mixing a homopolystyrene (hPS, 6.1 kg/mol) with a weakly segregated, symmetry polystyrene-block poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA, 42 kg/mol) followed by spin coating. At a given weight-fraction ratio of PS-b-PMMA/hPS = 75/25, the interior of the blend films forms parallel cylinders. Nevertheless, the surface of the blend films is always dominated by a skin layer of perforations, which epitaxially grow on top of parallel cylinders. By oxygen plasma etching at various time intervals to probe interior nanodomains, the epitaxial relationship between surface perforations and parallel cylinders has been identified by a scanning electron microscope.

Molecular-weight effects of a homopolymer on the AB- and ABC-stacks of perforations in block copolymer/homopolymer films

We have demonstrated the molecular-weight effects of adding homopolystyrene (hPS) on the evolution of perforated layers and double gyroids in polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate)-based films during isothermal annealing. Two homopolystyrenes of 2.8 and 17 kg mol-1 were used. To prepare blend films, PS-b-PMMA and hPSx (x: 2.8 or 17) were mixed at a weight-fraction ratio of 75/25 in toluene and then spin-coated at SiOx/Si. Spin coating inevitably produced films with thick edges at the periphery of the substrate. The structural evolution of the spun films was in situ characterized by grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The annealed films were then characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). We found that thin middle regions behaved differently from thick beads for the films. The middle of the blend films mainly formed perforated layers with different spatial orders and orientations, depending on the molecular weight of added hPS chains. Hexagonally perforated layers quickly formed at 205 °C for PS-b-PMMA/hPS2.8 films. However, when hPS17 was used instead of hPS2.8, perforated layers formed with defects in PS-b-PMMA/hPS17 films annealed at 205 °C. Annealing at 240 °C improved the spatial order and orientation of perforated layers for a PS-b-PMMA/hPS17 film. Nevertheless, annealing at 240 °C inversely depressed the in-plane spatial order of perforated layers for a PS-b-PMMA/hPS2.8 film. The depression in the in-plane spatial order is ascribed to a dilution effect of added short chains. Compared to the middle regions, the thick beads went through several metastable phases, such as perpendicularly oriented perforated layers and double gyroids.

Ordered Nanostructures in Thin Films of Precise Ion-Containing Multiblock Copolymers

We demonstrate that ionic functionality in a multiblock architecture produces highly ordered and sub-3 nm nanostructures in thin films, including bicontinuous double gyroids. At 40 °C, precise ion-containing multiblock copolymers of poly(ethylene-b-lithium sulfosuccinate ester) n (PESxLi, x = 12 or 18) exhibit layered ionic assemblies parallel to the substrate. These ionic layers are separated by crystalline polyethylene blocks with the polymer backbones perpendicular to the substrate. Notably, above the melting temperature (T m) of the polyethylene blocks, layered PES18Li thin films transform into a highly oriented double-gyroid morphology with the (211) plane (d 211 = 2.5 nm) aligned parallel to the substrate. The cubic lattice parameter (a gyr) of the double gyroid is 6.1 nm. Upon heating further above T m, the double-gyroid morphology in PES18Li transitions into hexagonally packed cylinders with cylinders parallel to the substrate. These layered, double-gyroid, and cylinder nanostructures form epitaxially and spontaneously without secondary treatment, such as interfacial layers and solvent vapor annealing. When the film thickness is less than ∼3a gyr, double gyroids and cylinders coexist due to the increased confinement. For PES12Li above T m, the layered ionic assemblies simply transform into disordered morphology. Given the chemical tunability of ion-functionalized multiblock copolymers, this study reveals a versatile pathway to fabricating ordered nanostructures in thin films.

Distributions of Deuterated Polystyrene Chains in Perforated Layers of Blend Films of a Symmetric Polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate)

We have examined the spatial distributions of polymer chains in blend films of weakly segregated polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) [P(S-b-MMA)] and deuterated polystyrene (dPS). By fine-tuning the composition (ϕ_PS+dPS = 63.8 vol %) of the total PS/dPS component and annealing temperature (230 and 270 °C), P(S-b-MMA)/dPS blend films mainly form perforated layers with a parallel orientation (hereafter PLs^//). The distributions of dPS in PLs^// were probed by grazing-incidence small-angle neutron scattering (GISANS) and time-of-flight neutron reflectivity (ToF-NR). GISANS and ToF-NR results offer evidence that dPS chains preferentially locate at the free surface and within the PS layers for blend films that were annealed at 230 °C. Upon annealing at 270 °C, dPS chains distribute within PS layers and perforated PMMA layers. Nevertheless, dPS chains still retain a surface preference for thin films. In contrast, such surface segregation of dPS chains is prohibited for thick films when annealed at 270 °C.

Phase behavior in thin films of weakly segregated block copolymer/homopolymer blends

We have demonstrated the phase behavior of substrate-supported films of a symmetric weakly segregated polystyrene-block-poly (methyl methacrylate), P(S-b-MMA), block copolymer and its blends with homopolymer polystyrene (PS) at different compositions. Upon increasing the content of added PS in the blends, lamellae (L), perforated layers (PL), double gyroid (DG) and cylinders (C) are obtained in sequence for films. Among these nanodomains, PL and DG only exist in a narrow ϕ_PS region (ϕ_PS denotes the volume fraction of PS). At ϕ_PS = 64%, tuning film thickness and annealing temperature can produce parallel PL or DG with {121}_DG lattice planes being parallel to the substrate surface. The effects of annealing temperature and film thickness on the formation of PL and DG are examined. In thin films with n ≈ 3 (n denotes the ratio of initial film thickness to inter-domain spacing), the PL phase solely exists regardless of temperature. However, for thick films with n ≈ 6 and 10, thermal annealing at the most accessible temperature produces films containing both PL and DG of various fractions, but a low temperature tends to favor a greater fraction of PL. The PL phase becomes the only discernible phase if thick films are shortly annealed at 230 °C.

Peripheral groups of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) core-based dendrimers: a crucial factor for higher-level supra-architecture building

The role of peripheral groups (PGs) on dendrimers in the spontaneous higher-level organization of hierarchically assembled nanofibers was investigated in a series of POSS-based dendritic gelators (POSS-Lys-X, X: -Boc, -Cbz, -Fmoc, etc.). We demonstrate that the PGs not only affect the gelation ability in solutions, but also the construction of orderly entangled fibrous supramolecular networks, e.g., "loofah-like" networks. Attributed to the PGs (especially the -Boc group) causing a lower cooperative assembly, the steady state with the lowest potential energy of gelators can be easily achieved by the higher ordering of nanofiber entanglement into superstructures. The -Boc group-containing dendrimers show low molar enthalpy and molar entropy of gelation, which help the construction of unique three-dimensional (3D) "loofah-like" superstructures. In contrast, the high cooperative assembly of the dendrimer (-Cbz as the PG) promotes the gelator into a higher enthalpy gelation process, with a constructed normal fibrous network. Hence, the PGs of POSS-based dendrimers act as the crucial factor in controlling the hierarchical self-assembly via a thermodynamics approach. This research presents new perspectives to explicate the relationships between PGs of dendrimers, supra-architectures and gel performances, which further guide the design of functional supramolecular materials via controllable self-assembly.

Polymer-guided assembly of inorganic nanoparticles

The self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles is of great importance in realizing their enormous potentials for broad applications due to the advanced collective properties of nanoparticle ensembles. Various molecular ligands (e.g., small molecules, DNAs, proteins, and polymers) have been used to assist the organization of inorganic nanoparticles into functional structures at different hierarchical levels. Among others, polymers are particularly attractive for use in nanoparticle assembly, because of the complex architectures and rich functionalities of assembled structures enabled by polymers. Polymer-guided assembly of nanoparticles has emerged as a powerful route to fabricate functional materials with desired mechanical, optical, electronic or magnetic properties for a broad range of applications such as sensing, nanomedicine, catalysis, energy storage/conversion, data storage, electronics and photonics. In this review article, we summarize recent advances in the polymer-guided self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles in both bulk thin films and solution, with an emphasis on the role of polymers in the assembly process and functions of resulting nanostructures. Precise control over the location/arrangement, interparticle interaction, and packing of inorganic nanoparticles at various scales are highlighted.

Highly Asymmetric Phase Behaviors of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane-Based Multiheaded Giant Surfactants

This work reports the molecular design, synthesis, and systematic study on the bulk self-assembly behaviors of three series of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based multiheaded giant surfactants XDPOSS-PS_n (X = 2, 3, and 4), which are composed of two, three, or four hydrophilic hydroxyl-group-functionalized DPOSS cages attached via one junction point to a hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) chain. These series of hybrid polymeric amphiphiles with precisely defined chemical structure and controllable molecular architecture are synthesized by the sequential usage of "click" reactions. By tuning molecular weights of the PS tail, we established full phase diagrams of XDPOSS-PS_n as a function of the volume fractions of PS chains (V_f^PS). We found that the self-assembled structures were greatly influenced by the molecular architecture. Strikingly, our results showed that the lamellar morphology, which usually existed at relatively symmetric compositions in common diblock copolymers, became the thermodynamically stable phase in the 3DPOSS-PS_n and 4DPOSS-PS_n samples even at an asymmetric composition up to V_f^PS = 0.842, with the ratio between the thicknesses of PS and DPOSS lamellae up to 5.32. This unusual phenomenon induced by molecular architectural variation could be explained by the large cross-sectional area of DPOSS cages at the nanophase-separated domain interface and high elastic deformation energy of clustered DPOSS cages which have relatively rigid conformation. The unique bulk self-assembly behaviors in our POSS-based multiheaded giant surfactants provide insights in developing hybrid nanomaterials toward unconventional nanostructures.