The Effect of Monomer Sequence Distributions in Copolymers: Phase Behavior and Interfacial Properties

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9307993 Winey Adhesives, photoresists, impact modifiers, packaging materials, and emulsifying agents are among the industrial uses of copolymers. Copolymers contain two or more types of monomer units covalently bonded to one another in a single polymer chain. The different monomer units of the copolymer can be arranged in a variety of sequences, for example, random, alternating, and block. Traditionally, researchers have assumed that the sequence distribution does not influence macroscopic properties, except in the case of very large sequencing differences, for example random versus block copolymers. However, a few studies, including work by the authors, have demonstrated that small differences in the sequence distribution dramatically influence blend miscibility. Given these unexpected results, a thorough investigation of the effect of sequence distribution on thermodynamics and mechanical properties will be carried out. The pertinent topics are the phase behavior in copolymer/homopolymer/homopolymer blends and the interfacial properties of copolymer confined between immiscible phases. Both blend miscibility and interfacial fracture toughness will be studied primarily as a function of the sequence distribution of the copolymer, though considerable attention will also be given to the interaction parameter and molecular weights. The sequence distribution in copolymers will be explored as a new means of effectively tailoring properties by varying the molecular structure. ***