Show simple item record

AuthorHuq, Abul F.
AuthorKulkarni, Manish
AuthorModi, Arvind
AuthorSmilgies, Detlef-M.
AuthorAl-Enizi, Abdullah M.
AuthorElzatahry, Ahmed
AuthorRaghavan, Dharmaraj
AuthorKarim, Alamgir
Available date2021-06-03T09:23:16Z
Publication Date2016
Publication NamePolymer
ResourceScopus
ISSN323861
URIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2015.10.049
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/18528
AbstractWe demonstrate selective dispersion of photosensitive electron acceptor phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) in cylinder forming polystyrene-b-poly (ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) block copolymer (BCP). Neat PS-b-PEO is structurally robust to forming vertically oriented nanoscale morphology of PEO cylinders in the PS matrix directly after solvent casting. Varying amounts of PCBM nanoparticles were mixed with PS-b-PEO BCP in solvent mixtures and films were spin cast on UV/ozone treated clean silicon wafers. We studied in detail the BCP morphology orientation effect of different solvents and solvent mixtures for varying PCBM loading (?PCBM) in the films, range from 0 to 50 weight percent relative to the BCP. The key accomplishments of this work include vertical orientation control even at large concentration of PCBM ?30% (w/w) particles relative to polymer mass and preferential segregation of PCBM in PS block via mixed solvent strategy which otherwise is difficult to realize due to segregation of PCBM on polar substrate. We explain the preferential dispersion of particles in films by demarcating limits in terms of critical Hansen solubility parameter. This value is close to the percolation threshold of PCBM, so a conducting polymer matrix can be expected, especially when it is partitioned preferentially in the matrix PS domain. We report changes in PEO cylinder diameter, cylinder center-to-center distance with PCBM incorporation into PS matrix, change of film thickness with overall PCBM incorporation and root mean square roughness of the film surface, for a range of casting solvents, solvent mixture compositions and ?PCBM. Notably, the film thickness increased as the PCBM content in film was increased for same processing condition, so that domain swelling by nanoparticles was self-adjusting with film thickness increment.
SponsorThe AFM characterization of morphology of thin films for high-energy capacitor design was supported by AFOSR contract No. FA9550-12-1-0306 . Analysis of the homogeneity and dispersion of the PCBM within the polymer film for suitability for dielectrics and future glass transition studies was enabled by support from the W.M. Keck Foundation . The GISAXS scattering aspects of the work was funded by Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences via grant DE-FG02-10ER4779 . CHESS at Cornell University is supported by the NSF & NIH/NIGMS via NSF award DMR-1332208 .
Languageen
PublisherElsevier Ltd
SubjectBlock copolymer
Hansen solubility parameter
Mixed solvent
Nanoparticle dispersion
TitleVertical orientation of solvent cast nanofilled PS-b-PEO block copolymer thin films at high nanoparticle loading
TypeArticle
Pagination22-31
Volume Number82
dc.accessType Abstract Only


Files in this item

FilesSizeFormatView

There are no files associated with this item.

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record