The ability to self-organize into periodically ordered microdomain morphologies has rendered block copolymer (BCP)-based blend materials an intriguing material platform to facilitate transformative technological breakthroughs in areas ranging from dynamic photonic sensors to solid state ion conductors, energy storage or bulk heterojunction materials for polymer photovoltaics. This contribution will discuss the effect of additives on the structure formation in microphase-separated block copolymer blend materials. It will be shown that fillers/impurities exert similar effects on the structure formation in block copolymer materials as do atomic impurities in crystalline materials such as solid solutions. These 'universal features' of filler (or impurity) addition are highlighted by the effect of additives to stabilize grain boundary structures and reduce grain growth kinetics in block copolymer microstructures. The analogies to inorganics motivate a new approach to determine the (relative) energies associated with grain boundary formation in block copolymers that provides insight into the driving forces of grain growth in block copolymer materials.

Microstructure evolution in block copolymer blend systems

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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