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Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Gyroid Nickel Nanostructures from Diblock Copolymer Supramolecules
Published on: April 28, 2014
Chemical Composition and Strain at Interfaces between Different Morphologies in Block Copolymer Thin Films
Kevin Ho1, Kris S Kim1, Sissi de Beer2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Abstract:
Transitional composition between two thin-film morphologies of the block copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PS-b-PtBuA), was investigated using near-field infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy mechanical measurements. These techniques allowed block identification with nanoscale spatial resolution and elucidated the material's sub-surface composition. PS was found to form coronae around the PtBuA block in spherical valleys on flat areas of the film, and coronae of PtBuA surrounding the PS lamellae were observed at the edge of the polymer film, where parallel lamellae are formed. Furthermore, we found that the peak position and width varied by location, which may be a result of block composition, chain tension, or substrate interaction.
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