1 research outputs found
Block Copolymer Nanocomposites in Electric Fields: Kinetics of Alignment
We investigate the kinetics of block copolymer/nanoparticle
composite
alignment in an electric field using in situ transmission small-angle
X-ray scattering. As a model system, we employ a lamellae forming
polystyrene-<i>block</i>-polyĀ(2-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer
with different contents of gold nanoparticles in thick films under
solvent vapor annealing. While the alignment improves with increasing
nanoparticle fraction, the kinetics slows down. This is explained
by changes in the degree of phase separation and viscosity. Our findings
provide extended insights into the basics of nanocomposite alignment