Self morphology

An even coarser description is attempted in Ginzburg-Landau-type models. These continuum models describe the system configuration in temis of one or several, continuous order parameter fields. These fields are thought to describe the spatial variation of the composition. Similar to spin models, the amphiphilic properties are incorporated into the Flamiltonian by construction. The Flamiltonians are motivated by fiindamental synnnetry and stability criteria and offer a unified view on the general features of self-assembly. The universal, generic behaviour—tlie possible morphologies and effects of fluctuations, for instance—rather than the description of a specific material is the subject of these models. 

Koutsos V, van der Vegte E W, Grim PCM and Hadziioannou G Isolated polymer chains via mixed self-assembled monolayers morphology and friction studied by scanning force microscopy Macromolecules 116-23... 

It is well known that block copolymers and graft copolymers composed of incompatible sequences form the self-assemblies (the microphase separations). These morphologies of the microphase separation are governed by Molau s law [1] in the solid state. Nowadays, not only the three basic morphologies but also novel morphologies, such as ordered bicontinuous double diamond structure, are reported [2-6]. The applications of the microphase separation are also investigated [7-12]. As one of the applications of the microphase separation of AB diblock copolymers, it is possible to synthesize coreshell type polymer microspheres upon crosslinking the spherical microdomains [13-16]. 

Tailoring block copolymers with three or more distinct type of blocks creates more exciting possibilities of exquisite self-assembly. The possible combination of block sequence, composition, and block molecular weight provides an enormous space for the creation of new morphologies. In multiblock copolymer with selective solvents, the dramatic expansion of parameter space poses both experimental and theoretical challenges. However, there has been very limited systematic research on the phase behavior of triblock copolymers and triblock copolymer-containing selective solvents. In the future an important aspect in the fabrication of nanomaterials by bottom-up approach would be to understand, control, and manipulate the self-assembly of phase-segregated system and to know how the selective solvent present affects the phase behavior and structure offered by amphiphilic block copolymers. 

Pochan D.J., Pakstis L., Ozbas B., Nowak A.P., and Deming T.J. SANS and cryo-TEM study of self-assembled diblock copolypeptide hydrogels with rich nano through microscale morphology. Macromolecules, 35, 5358, 2002. 

SDIBS-OH is expected to self-assemble into a nanostructured TPE whose PIB surface is decorated with OH groups, while the reinforcing hard PSt phases are embedded in the continuous dendritic PIB matrix. Figure 7.19 helps to visualize the phase morphology. 

Lamm MS, Rajagopal K, Schneider JP et al (2005) Laminated morphology of nontwisting beta-sheet fibrils constructed via peptide self-assembly. J Am Chem Soc 127 16692-16700... 

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