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Hydrogen Bond Induces Hierarchical Self‐Assembly in Liquid‐Crystalline Block Copolymers
Author(s) -
Huang Shuai,
Pang Linlin,
Chen Yuxuan,
Zhou Liming,
Fang Shaoming,
Yu Haifeng
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201700783
Subject(s) - lamellar structure , materials science , copolymer , ethylene oxide , dopant , crystallization , hydrogen bond , self assembly , amorphous solid , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , amphiphile , polymer , phase (matter) , oxide , molecule , doping , nanotechnology , crystallography , organic chemistry , chemistry , composite material , optoelectronics , engineering , metallurgy
Microphase‐separated structures of block copolymers (BCs) with a size of sub‐10 nm are usually obtained by hydrogen‐bond‐induced self‐assembly of BCs through doping with small molecules as functional additives. Here, fabrication of hierarchically self‐assembled sub‐10 nm structures upon microphase separation of amphiphilic liquid‐crystalline BCs (LCBCs) at the existence of hydrogen bonds but without any dopants is reported. The newly introduced urethane groups in the side chain of the hydrophobic block of LCBCs interact with the ether groups of the hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block, leading to imperfect crystallization of the PEO blocks. Both crystalline and amorphous domains coexist in the separated PEO phase, enabling a lamellar structure to appear inside the PEO nanocylinders. This provides an elegant method to fabricate controllable sub‐10 nm microstructures in well‐defined polymer systems without the introduction of any dopants.