Microphase Separation of Block Copolymers Tethered to Spherical or Planar Surfaces

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We will investigate the microphase separation of tethered block copolymer brushes in thin films via a powerful combination of theory and experiment. The theoretical calculations will be used to predict nanoscale morphologies which will then be targeted for experimental investigation. The initial work will be on block copolymers on planar subtrates - a variety of interesting self-assembled nanostructures will be prepared and imaged via atomic force microscopy. X-ray scattering will be used to probe the ordering within the film. The next stage will be to perform theoretical predictions of structures formed by block copolymers on spherical particles. This will be used to motivate experiments using adsorbed block copolymer films on silica nanoparticles. Intricate novel morphologies are expected. These will be used to template the fabrication of hollow porous nanoparticles using a completely new approach, whereby the minority block copolymer domain and the nanoparticle are etched away. The porous nanoparticles could open up totally new applications in separation science, catalysis or nanoscale chemistry.