In Situ Monitoring of Block Copolymer Self-Assembly via Solvent Exchange through Controlled Dialysis with Light and Neutron Scattering Detection
- Martin Fauquignon*Martin Fauquignon*E-mail: [email protected]Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, F-33600, Pessac, FranceMore by Martin Fauquignon
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- Lionel Porcar*Lionel Porcar*E-mail: [email protected]Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), F-38042 Grenoble, FranceMore by Lionel Porcar
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- Annie BrûletAnnie BrûletLaboratoire Léon Brillouin, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceMore by Annie Brûlet
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- Jean-François Le MeinsJean-François Le MeinsUniversité de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, F-33600, Pessac, FranceMore by Jean-François Le Meins
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- Olivier SandreOlivier SandreUniversité de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, F-33600, Pessac, FranceMore by Olivier Sandre
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- Jean-Paul ChapelJean-Paul ChapelCentre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CRPP), UMR CNRS 5031, Université de Bordeaux, F-33600 Pessac, FranceMore by Jean-Paul Chapel
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- Marc SchmutzMarc SchmutzUniversité de Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Charles Sadron, UPR 22, F-67034 Strasbourg, FranceMore by Marc Schmutz
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- Christophe Schatz*Christophe Schatz*E-mail: [email protected]Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629, F-33600, Pessac, FranceMore by Christophe Schatz
Abstract
Solution self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers (BCs) is typically performed by a solvent-to-water exchange. However, BC assemblies are often trapped in metastable states depending on the mixing conditions such as the magnitude and rate of water addition. BC self-assembly can be performed under near thermodynamic control by dialysis, which accounts for a slow and gradual water addition. In this Letter we report the use of a specifically designed dialysis cell to continuously monitor by dynamic light scattering and small-angle neutron scattering the morphological changes of PDMS-b-PEG BCs self-assemblies during THF-to-water exchange. The complete phase diagrams of near-equilibrium structures can then be established. Spherical micelles first form before evolving to rod-like micelles and vesicles, decreasing the total developed interfacial area of self-assembled structures in response to increasing interfacial energy as the water content increases. The dialysis kinetics can be tailored to the time scale of BC self-assembly by modifying the membrane pore size, which is of interest to study the interplay between thermodynamics and kinetics in self-assembly pathways.
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