1 research outputs found
Effect of Systematic Hydrogenation on the Phase Behavior and Nanostructural Dimensions of Block Copolymers
Unsaturated polydienes are frequently
hydrogenated to yield polyolefins that are more chemically stable.
Here, the effects of partial hydrogenation on the phase behavior and
nanostructure of polyisoprene-containing block copolymers are investigated.
To ensure access to the order–disorder transition temperature
(<i>T</i><sub>ODT</sub>) over a wide temperature range,
we examine copolymers with at least one random block. Dynamic rheological
and scattering measurements indicate that <i>T</i><sub>ODT</sub> increases linearly with increasing hydrogenation. Small-angle scattering
reveals that the temperature-dependence of the Flory–Huggins
parameter changes and the microdomain period increases, while the
interfacial thickness decreases. The influence of hydrogenation becomes
less pronounced in more constrained multiblock copolymers