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Related Concept Videos

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

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Copolymers are the products obtained from the polymerization of multiple monomer species. So, in a polymer chain itself, there can be multiple repeating units that come from different monomers. The process of synthesizing a polymer from different monomer species is called copolymerization. When two monomers are involved, the polymer is known as a bipolymer. Polymers with three and four monomers are termed terpolymers and quaterpolymers, respectively. Figure 1 depicts the copolymerization of...
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Stability of Substituted Cyclohexanes02:30

Stability of Substituted Cyclohexanes

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This lesson discusses the stability of substituted cyclohexanes with a focus on energies of various conformers and the effect of 1,3-diaxial interactions.
The two chair conformations of cyclohexanes undergo rapid interconversion at room temperature. Both forms have identical energies and stabilities, each comprising equal amounts of the equilibrium mixture. Replacing a hydrogen atom with a functional group makes the two conformations energetically non-equivalent.
For example, in...
12.5K
Conformations of Cyclohexane02:11

Conformations of Cyclohexane

12.3K
Cyclohexane does not exist in a planar form due to the high angle and torsional strain it would experience in the planar structure. Instead, it adopts non-planar chair and boat conformations.
The chair form is the most stable and derives its name from its resemblance to the “easy chair.” In the chair conformation, two carbon atoms are arranged out-of-plane — one above and one below, minimizing the torsional strain. In the chair form, the bond angle is very close to the ideal...
12.3K
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

1.9K
The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...
1.9K
Chair Conformation of Cyclohexane02:02

Chair Conformation of Cyclohexane

14.5K
The chair conformation is the most stable form of cyclohexane due to the absence of angle and torsional strain. The absence of angle strain is a result of cyclohexane’s bond angle being very close to the ideal tetrahedral bond angle of 109.5° in its chair conformer. Similarly, the torsional strain is also absent owing to the perfectly staggered arrangement of bonds.
The hydrogen atoms linked to carbons are arranged in two different axial and equatorial orientations to achieve this...
14.5K
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.3K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
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Stabilizing hexagonally close-packed phase in single-component block copolymers through rational symmetry breaking.

Zhanhui Gan1,2, Zhuoqi Xu1, Kun Tian3

  • 1South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

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Researchers achieved the hexagonally close-packed spherical phase in single-component block copolymers by breaking molecular symmetry. This breakthrough provides experimental evidence for a predicted structure, advancing fundamental polymer science.

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • The existence of the hexagonally close-packed spherical phase in single-component block copolymers was predicted but lacked experimental validation.
  • This absence raised concerns about the fundamental principles governing block copolymer phase behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally realize the thermodynamically equilibrium hexagonally close-packed spherical phase in a single-component block copolymer system.
  • To demonstrate a method for regulating block copolymer phase behavior by manipulating molecular symmetry.

Main Methods:

  • Design and synthesis of discrete A1BA2 triblock copolymers using an iterative growth method.
  • Precise control over chemical composition and uniform chain length to eliminate defects.
  • Tuning the relative chain lengths of the end A blocks to control nanostructure formation.

Main Results:

  • Fabrication of diverse ordered nanostructures, including Frank-Kasper A15 and sigma phases, by adjusting A-block lengths.
  • Successful experimental access to the hexagonally close-packed spherical phase.
  • Demonstration that synergistic effects of end blocks stabilize the spherical phase and relieve packing frustration.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides the first experimental evidence for the hexagonally close-packed spherical phase in single-component block copolymers.
  • Breaking molecular symmetry offers a robust strategy for controlling block copolymer phase behavior and accessing complex nanostructures.
  • This work fills a gap in the block copolymer phase diagram and enables rational structural engineering.