THEORY OF BLOCK COPOLYMER SOLUTIONS: NONSELECTIVE GOOD SOLVENTS.
01 January 1989
A theory to describe microphase separation and radiation scattering of AB diblock copolymers dissolved in a good, nonselective solvent is presented. In spite of the neutrality of the solvent, we find that the ordered microphases are inhomogeneous in solvent concentration as well as in copolymer composition. This arises from the ability of excess solvent at the interfaces between microdomains to screen unfavorable A-B interactions. We also demonstrate that in contrast to the melt, the microphase separation transition in diblock copolymer solutions corresponds to a very narrow region coexistence between a solvent-rich disordered phase and a solvent-poor ordered phase.