Tricontinuous structures

Abstract Using a new lattice polymer simulation method for block copolymers, we have studied a dense polymer system composed of monodisperse linear A-B-C triblock copolymers. We confirm that a tricontinuous structure for linear A-B-C block copolymers observed by Mogi et al. (Macromolecule 25, 5408 (1992) and ibid. 25, 5412 (1992)) could be, indeed, an ordered tricontinuous double-diamond ... 

In this paper, we present some simulation results for linear A-B-C triblock copolymers (A-A-A-B-B-B-C-C-C), whose melts are known to produce a tetragonal (not hexagonal) cylindrical structure and an ordered tricontinuous structure [7]. I the case of linear A-B-C triblock copolymers, the multicontinuous structure possesses a large portion in both experimental and theoretical [8] phase diagrams, which is different from other systems. 

Matsushita, Y, Suzuki, J., and Seki, M. (1998) Surfaces of tricontinuous structure formed by an ABC triblock copolymer in bulk. Physica B, 248,238-242. 

ABC-type triblock copolymers, in which A, B, and C are all chemically distinct from each other, can form a variety of additional structures, such as a cylindrical phase ordered on a square lattice, a tricontinuous diamond phase (Mogi et al. 1992 Nakazawa and Ohta 1993), and some exquisitely delicate structures, such as cylinders decorated by rings (see Fig. 13-8) or by strands winding around them in helieal fashion (Stadler et al. 1995 Krappe et al. 1995). Recent findings have greatly expanded the known types of ordered block copolymer phases. 

PS-PDMS-PtBMA Tricontinuous microdomain structure Star A-B-C [183]... 

Figure 16.24. Some possible generalizations of the bicontinuous phases (a) a tetracontinuous morphology (space group P4232) (b) a tricontinuous hexagonal structure (space group P63/mmc)...

Matsushita, Y., Tamura, M., andNoda, 1. (1994) Tricontinuous double-diamond structure formed by astyrene-isoprene-2-vinylpyridine triblock copolymer. Macromolecules, 27,3680-3682. 

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