Joseph, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-0441-9365, Read, D.J. orcid.org/0000-0003-1194-9273 and Rucklidge, A.M. orcid.org/0000-0003-2985-0976 (2023) Design of linear block copolymers and ABC star terpolymers that produce two length scales at phase separation. Macromolecules, 56 (19). pp. 7847-7859. ISSN 0024-9297
Abstract
Quasicrystals (materials with long-range order but without the usual spatial periodicity of crystals) were discovered in several soft matter systems in the last 20 years. The stability of quasicrystals has been attributed to the presence of two prominent length scales in a specific ratio, which is 1.93 for the 12-fold quasicrystals most commonly found in soft matter. We propose design criteria for block copolymers such that quasicrystal-friendly length scales emerge at the point of phase separation from a melt, basing our calculations on the Random Phase Approximation. We consider two block copolymer families: linear chains containing two different monomer types in blocks of different lengths, and ABC star terpolymers. In all examples, we are able to identify parameter windows with the two length scales having a ratio of 1.93. The models that we consider that are simplest for polymer synthesis are, first, a monodisperse ALBASB melt and, second, a model based on random reactions from a mixture of AL, AS, and B chains: both feature the length scale ratio of 1.93 and should be relatively easy to synthesize.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under CC-BY 4.0. |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mathematics (Leeds) > Applied Mathematics (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) EP/P015611/1 Leverhulme Trust RF-2018-449\9 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 08 Sep 2023 15:32 |
Last Modified: | 17 Jan 2025 13:17 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Chemical Society |
Identification Number: | 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00800 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:203178 |