We use a Monte Carlo method to study the phase and interracial behaviors of A-b-B diblocks in a blend of homopolymers, A and B, which are confined between two asymmetric hard and impenetrable walls. Our results show t...We use a Monte Carlo method to study the phase and interracial behaviors of A-b-B diblocks in a blend of homopolymers, A and B, which are confined between two asymmetric hard and impenetrable walls. Our results show that, when the interaction strength is weak, the block copolymers are uniformly distributed in the ternary mixtures under considered concentrations. Under strong interaction strength, distribution region of the block copolymers changes from a single smooth interface to a curved interface or multi-layer interface in the ternary mixtures. Furthermore, our findings show that with increasing volume fraction of A-b-B diblock copolymer （φc）, copolymer profiles broaden while φc ≥ 0.4, a lamellar phase is formed and by further increasing φc, more thinner layers are observed. Moreover, the results show that, with the increase of φc, the phase interface first gradually transforms from plane to a curved surface rather than micelle or lamellar phase while with the increase of the interaction between A and B segments （CAB）, the copolymer chains not only get stretched in the direction perpendicular to the interface, but also are oriented. The simulations also reveal that the difference between symmetric and asymmetric copolymers is negligible in statistics if the lengths of two blocks are comparable.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21304097,21334007and 21674113)
文摘We use a Monte Carlo method to study the phase and interracial behaviors of A-b-B diblocks in a blend of homopolymers, A and B, which are confined between two asymmetric hard and impenetrable walls. Our results show that, when the interaction strength is weak, the block copolymers are uniformly distributed in the ternary mixtures under considered concentrations. Under strong interaction strength, distribution region of the block copolymers changes from a single smooth interface to a curved interface or multi-layer interface in the ternary mixtures. Furthermore, our findings show that with increasing volume fraction of A-b-B diblock copolymer （φc）, copolymer profiles broaden while φc ≥ 0.4, a lamellar phase is formed and by further increasing φc, more thinner layers are observed. Moreover, the results show that, with the increase of φc, the phase interface first gradually transforms from plane to a curved surface rather than micelle or lamellar phase while with the increase of the interaction between A and B segments （CAB）, the copolymer chains not only get stretched in the direction perpendicular to the interface, but also are oriented. The simulations also reveal that the difference between symmetric and asymmetric copolymers is negligible in statistics if the lengths of two blocks are comparable.
