Evolution and Competition of Block Copolymer Nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoparticle structures formed in a mixture of diblock copolymer and solvent are investigated using a three-phase density functional model and its sharp interface approximation. A wide variety of equilibria described by localized domain patterns are quantified both numerically and analytically. Competition among multiple particles is shown to occur through mass diffusion driven by differences in chemical potential, which may or may not lead to Ostwald ripening behavior. Late stage rigid body dynamics is shown to result from interaction through dipolar fields, leading to orientational alignment and long-range attraction.