Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 67: Polymer and Molecular Dynamics, Friction and Rheology

CPP 67.8: Talk

Friday, April 5, 2019, 11:45–12:00, H13

Dynamic Properties of Multiblock Copolymers — •Fabian Berressem, Friederike Schmid, and Arash Nikoubashman — Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz

The ability of copolymers to self-assemble into well-defined nanostructures is of enormous importance in academic studies as well as in industry. This remarkable property makes it possible to create large volumes of materials with specific nanostructures and tailored properties. Previous research has focused mainly on the self-assembly of diblock copolymers, as the synthesis of these macromolecules is well-established. Recent advances in chemical synthesis have made it possible to create more complex polymers such as multiblock copolymers. Self-assembled structures of multiblock copolymers contain many loops and bridges, which can significantly alter their rheological properties due to entanglement effects. Thus, it is important to consider the chain conformations on a microscopic level to fully understand the macroscopic flow properties of the melts. The arrangement of the individual polymers, and hence the distribution of loops and bridges, strongly depends on the specific polymer properties as well as the employed manufacturing processes, e.g., solvent casting or spray coating. As a first step, we studied through self-consistent field theory (SCFT) the domain spacing and the loop and bridge distribution of lamella-forming multiblock copolymers in equilibrium, and found semiquantitative agreement with experiments. We then combined SCFT with molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard-Jones chains to determine the anisotropic shear viscosity of block copolymer melts.