Block copolymers and nanotechnology

Acrylonitrile Block and Graft Copolymers

This paper presents a review of the methods available for preparing block and graft copolymers in which one component is acrylonitrile. Methods using polymer ions and polymer radicals are considered together with a useful new technique based on reactions of nitrile groups with amide compounds of group IV transition metals. Because of its polarity and its unusual solubility properties, a polyacr...

Supramolecular Conjugated Block Copolymers

While the performance of polymer−polymer bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is poor compared with polymer−fullerene OPVs, reducing or eliminating micrometer-scale phase separation in all-polymer OPVs may dramatically improve performance. Herein, we demonstrate that 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) quadruple hydrogen bonding interactions can be used to prevent micrometer-scale pha...

Micellization of block copolymers

This article deals with recent progress including the author’s work in the field of block copolymer self-assembly in solution and on solid surfaces. The synthesis methods for producing block copolymers with well-defined structures, molecular weights and composition are outlined with emphasis on ionic and controlled free radical polymerization techniques. A general overview of the preparation, c...

Self-healing supramolecular block copolymers.

Polymer, heal thyself! Supramolecular ABA triblock copolymers formed by dimerization of 2-ureido-4-pyrimidinone (UPy) end-functionalized polystyrene-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PS-b-PBA) AB diblock copolymers have been synthesized, resulting in a self-healing material that combines the advantageous mechanical properties of thermoplastic elastomers and the dynamic self-healing features of supramol...

Nano-Devices Using Block-Copolymers