Communication: Molecular-level description of constrained chain topologies in multiblock copolymer gel networks

Mohammad O Tuhin; Sebastian Woloszczuk; Kenneth P Mineart; Melissa A Pasquinelli; J David Sadler; Steven D Smith; Michal Banaszak; Richard J Spontak

doi:10.1063/1.5037231

Communication: Molecular-level description of constrained chain topologies in multiblock copolymer gel networks

J Chem Phys. 2018 Jun 21;148(23):231101. doi: 10.1063/1.5037231.

Authors

Mohammad O Tuhin¹, Sebastian Woloszczuk², Kenneth P Mineart¹, Melissa A Pasquinelli³, J David Sadler⁴, Steven D Smith⁴, Michal Banaszak², Richard J Spontak¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
² Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
³ Fiber and Polymer Science Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
⁴ Corporate Research and Development, The Procter and Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224, USA.

PMID: 29935523
DOI: 10.1063/1.5037231

Abstract

Network characteristics in physical gels composed of solvated block copolymers varying in molecular design are examined here by dynamic rheology and computer simulations. In two triblock copolymer series, one with chain length (N) varied at constant copolymer composition (f) and the other with f varied at constant N, we discern the dependence of equilibrium network metrics on both N and f. Increasing the block number in a linear multiblock series at constant N and f escalates conformational complexity, which dominates network connectivity classified according to a midblock conformation index.