Relation between molecular orientation and morphology of a multiblock copolymer melt confined in cylindrical nanopores

The morphologies of multiblock copolymer melts (for simplicity, we consider tetra blocks) and their configurations when they are confined in cylindrical nanopores were examined by Lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The dependence of their morphologies and of the configurations of the copolymers (through the radius Of gyration) on the nanopore diameter, intersegment interaction energies (repulsive interaction energies between different kinds of segments of the copolymers), and attractive interactions between one kind of segments and the surface of the nanopore was investigated. The results indicate that the morphology of a copolymer melt is connected to the configuration of the copolymer chain. it was found that: (i) stacked disks are generated when the polymer chains are preferentially directed along the nanopore axis, and (ii) helixes or lamellae parallel to the nanopore axis are formed when the copolymer chains are preferentially directed normal to the nanopore axis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.