Interfacial morphologies and associated processes of multicomponent polymers

This review describes contemporary advancements in the study of interfacial morphologies and associated processes of multicomponent polymers. A particular emphasis is placed on the use of three-dimensional (3D) microscopy, for example, transmission electron microtomography (TEMT) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The time evolution of a spinodal interface during the phase separation of a polymer blend was followed by LSCM. The obtained 3D interfacial morphology was analyzed by differential geometry. The scalability was tested using curvature distributions. 3D nanoimaging, that is, TEMT, was applied to examine the stability and dynamics of complex block copolymer (BCP) morphologies, and novel structural data were directly assessed according to the 3D volume data. This review also examines two essential developments in the time-dependent in situ electron tomography of polymer materials to study the dynamic processes of BCPs. The 3D microscopy-based structural information renders an important perspective into the studies of nonlinear nonequilibrium occurrences as well as the statistical physics of long-chain-bearing moieties.