Triply Helical Giant Domain with Homochirality in a Terpolymer Blend System

ACS Macro Lett. 2021 Jul 20;10(7):978-983. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00307. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Abstract

Hexagonally packed coaxial triply helical domains with a mesoscopic length scale in matrices were created from an S1IS2P tetrablock terpolymer/Sh homopolymer blend system, wherein S1, S2, and Sh denote polystyrene, I is polyisoprene, and P represents poly(2-vinylpyridine). Two terpolymers, i.e., S1IS2P-3 (S1/I/S2/P = 0.50/0.17/0.19/0.14, M = 134k) and S1IS2P-4 (S1/I/S2/P = 0.58/0.16/0.10/0.16, M = 173k), were blended with Sh (M = 3k) at various concentrations. In the S1IS2P-3/Sh = 80/20 blend, the helical domain of P (o.d.= 19 nm; h.p. = 34 nm) was displayed by TEM, and the helical I phase (o.d. = 55 nm; i.d. = 29 nm; h.p. = 34 nm) was clearly demonstrated by 3D-TEM tomography. Essentially the same structure was confirmed to be created from the S1IS2P-4/Sh blend. These findings point out that S2 chains fill the gap between the I and P helices, and hence the intermediate S phase also has a helical nature. Moreover, it is worth noting that grains composed of hexagonally packed helices reveal homochirality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Polystyrenes* / chemistry

Substances

  • Polystyrenes