Regensburg 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 32: Poster Session II

CPP 32.6: Poster

Donnerstag, 20. März 2025, 09:30–12:00, P3

Morphologies in Thin Films of Charged Pentablock Terpolymers During Solvent Vapor Annealing — •Yujia Gu¹, Constantinos Tsitsilianis², and Christine M. Papadakis¹ — ¹TU Munich, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Soft Matter Physics Group, Garching, Germany — ²University of Patras, Department of Chemical Engineering, Patras, Greece

Thin films from block copolymers containing charged blocks offer enhanced possibilities for precise structural modulation. In our previous work on thin films from a symmetric ABCBA pentablock terpolymer with cationic B and C midblocks and hydrophobic end blocks A, the pH-dependent degree of ionization of the charged midblocks was found to significantly influence the thin-film morphology [1]. In this study, we explore the possibilities to tune the thin film structures during solvent vapour annealing (SVA) using the same ABCBA pentablock terpolymer. Spin-coated films are prepared at various pH values and are subjected to SVA using selective solvents. Depending on the solvent selectivity, SVA may alter the film structure, e.g. by promoting reorganization toward equilibrium morphologies. We utilize in-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectral reflectometry (SR) to monitor structural transitions during SVA. By systematically examining the effects of pH and solvent selectivity, this study aims to provide insights into controlling nanostructure morphology in charged pentablock copolymers, with implications for advanced thin-film design.

Keywords: Block Copolymers; Thin Films; Solvent Vapor Annealing; pH-Responsive Polymers; Nanostructure