Heterotelechelic homopolymers mimicking high χ - ultralow N block copolymers with sub-2 nm domain size

Three fluorinated, hydrophobic initiators have been utilised for the synthesis of low molecular mass fluoro-poly(acrylic acid) heterotelechelic homopolymers to mimic high chi (chi)-low N diblock copolymers with ultrafine domains of sub-2 nm length scale. Polymers were obtained by a simple photoinduced copper(ii)-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerisation (Cu-RDRP) affording low molecular mass (<3 kDa) and low dispersity (D = 1.04-1.21) homopolymers. Heating/cooling ramps were performed on bulk samples (ca. 250 mu m thick) to obtain thermodynamically stable nanomorpologies of lamellar (LAM) or hexagonally packed cylinders (HEX), as deduced by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Construction of the experimental phase diagram alongside a detailed theoretical model demonstrated typical rod-coil block copolymer phase behaviour for these fluoro-poly(acrylic acid) homopolymers, where the fluorinated initiator-derived segment acts as a rod and the poly(acrylic acid) as a coil. This work reveals that these telechelic homopolymers mimic high chi-ultralow N diblock copolymers and enables reproducible targeting of nanomorphologies with incredibly small, tunable domain size.

Automated summary

Fluoro-poly(acrylic acid) heterotelechelic homopolymers have been synthesized to mimic the ultrafine domains of high chi-low N diblock copolymers. The thermodynamically stable nanomorphologies of lamellar or hexagonally packed cylinders were obtained by heating/cooling ramps. These telechelic homopolymers mimic high chi-ultralow N diblock copolymers and enable reproducible targeting of nanomorphologies with incredibly small, tunable domain size.