{"title":"Interface densification in a microphase-separated diblock copolymer resolved by small-angle X-ray scattering.","authors":"Yu-Hsuan Lin, Yu-Chung Chen, Aditya Sahare, Yi-Cheng Lai, Chun-Jen Su, Jing-Cherng Tsai, Katsuhiro Yamamoto, Hsin-Lung Chen","doi":"10.1107/S1600576725002638","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In block copolymers exhibiting lower critical ordering transition behavior, the segregation strength increases with temperature due to the significantly different thermal expansivities of the constituent blocks. Using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, we reveal a phenomenon of segmental densification at the microdomain interface in this type of system, where the local electron density in a specific region of the interface surpasses that of the denser domain. As a result, the interfacial electron density profile deviates significantly from the hyperbolic tangent function expected for an incompressible melt. This unique densification effect can be attributed to the negative volume of mixing at the interface between the dissimilar segments and emerges when the electron densities of the constituent blocks are similar.</p>","PeriodicalId":14950,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Crystallography","volume":"58 Pt 3","pages":"869-878"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12135978/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Applied Crystallography","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576725002638","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/6/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In block copolymers exhibiting lower critical ordering transition behavior, the segregation strength increases with temperature due to the significantly different thermal expansivities of the constituent blocks. Using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, we reveal a phenomenon of segmental densification at the microdomain interface in this type of system, where the local electron density in a specific region of the interface surpasses that of the denser domain. As a result, the interfacial electron density profile deviates significantly from the hyperbolic tangent function expected for an incompressible melt. This unique densification effect can be attributed to the negative volume of mixing at the interface between the dissimilar segments and emerges when the electron densities of the constituent blocks are similar.
期刊介绍:
Many research topics in condensed matter research, materials science and the life sciences make use of crystallographic methods to study crystalline and non-crystalline matter with neutrons, X-rays and electrons. Articles published in the Journal of Applied Crystallography focus on these methods and their use in identifying structural and diffusion-controlled phase transformations, structure-property relationships, structural changes of defects, interfaces and surfaces, etc. Developments of instrumentation and crystallographic apparatus, theory and interpretation, numerical analysis and other related subjects are also covered. The journal is the primary place where crystallographic computer program information is published.