Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026
09:02
Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization
Published on: July 9, 2015
12.7K
Pressure-composition phase diagram of diblock copolymers
H Degaki1,2, I Taniguchi2,3, S Deguchi2
1Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|December 4, 2025
Summary
This study explores pressure-composition phase diagrams for diblock copolymers, revealing how block compressibility contrast dictates pressure-responsive behavior and aids in designing advanced polymeric materials.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Phase diagrams are crucial for designing polymeric materials with specific properties.
- Understanding pressure-induced phase transitions in diblock copolymers is essential for pressure processing.
- Existing research primarily focuses on temperature-composition phase diagrams, leaving pressure-composition diagrams underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct and analyze pressure-composition phase diagrams for diblock copolymers.
- To elucidate the fundamental principles governing pressure-induced phase transitions.
- To provide insights for the molecular design of pressure-responsive polymeric systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing compressible random phase approximation theory.
- Employing self-consistent field theory for phase diagram construction.
- Investigating the influence of block compressibility contrast and system asymmetry.
Main Results:
- Block compressibility contrast is the key factor in pressure-responsive phase behavior.
- High contrast enhances miscibility under pressure; low contrast reduces it.
- Voids in soft domains stabilize ordered phases in asymmetric systems, altering phase boundaries.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding pressure-induced phase transitions in diblock copolymers.
- Block compressibility contrast is a critical parameter for tuning pressure-responsive material behavior.
- Findings support the rational design of polymeric materials for energy-efficient applications and pressure processing.
More Related Videos
09:22Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
8.2K
10:53Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
14.5K
Related Concept Videos
01:24Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers
3.2K
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...
3.2K
02:39Phase Diagrams
48.6K
A phase diagram combines plots of pressure versus temperature for the liquid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-gas phase-transition equilibria of a substance. These diagrams indicate the physical states that exist under specific conditions of pressure and temperature and also provide the pressure dependence of the phase-transition temperatures (melting points, sublimation points, boiling points). Regions or areas labeled solid, liquid, and gas represent single phases, while lines or curves represent...
48.6K
01:19Phase Diagram
6.9K
The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).
6.9K
01:18pV-Diagrams
6.0K
The pV diagram, which is a graph of pressure versus volume of the gas under study, is helpful in describing certain aspects of the substance. When the substance behaves like an ideal gas, the ideal gas equation describes the relationship between its pressure and volume. On a pV diagram, it is common to plot an isotherm, which is a curve showing p as a function of V with the number of molecules and the temperature fixed. Then, for an ideal gas, the product of the pressure of the gas and its...
6.0K
01:08Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
2.7K
Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
2.7K
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
19.6K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
19.6K