(613h) Effects of Conformational Chirality on the Phase Behavior of Block Copolymers

Block copolymer self-assembly for model polymers adopting random-coil conformations has been extensively studied and is well-understood. Advances in polymer synthesis have led to the development of a new class of polymer molecules capable of adopting conformational chirality, that can also result in novel chiral morphologies such as helices and single gyroids. In this study, we use particle-based simulations to investigate the thermodynamics of model block copolymers exhibiting conformational chirality. A wide range of conformations between random-coil and perfect helices are obtained by tuning the interactions in a bead-spring model. Conformational chirality of the molecules is quantified by the average helicity and correlated with the average end-to-end distance. The self-assembly of these molecules in the lamellar morphology and disordered structures are investigated. In particular, the effect of tuning the interaction parameters on the resulting chain conformation characteristics within the microstructure are elucidated.