Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization enabled the synthesis of welldefined A–BC–A triblock copolymers containing a synergy of pendant ether and imidazolium sites. The soft central BC block comprises low Tg di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMEMA) and 1-(4-vinylbenzyl) methyl imidazolium units. External polystyrene blocks provide mechanical reinfor...

Block copolymer thin films with distinct morphologies are prepared by spin casting a nominally lamellar assay of poly(styrene-block-ethylene oxide) from a variety of solvents with and without salt doping. The 3-D morphologies of free-standing thin-film regions, which are obtained by casting directly onto holey substrates, are investigated in detail using various energy-filtering transmission el...

We present a straightforward method for the preparation of a novel donor–acceptor block copolymer based on an acceptor block with pendant phenyl-C71-butyric methyl ester (PC71BM) and a regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a donor. First, a hydroxyl-functionalized polystyrene copolymer with an azide end group was synthesized via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) and was c...

The development of self-assembled ZnO nanoparticles within a diblock copolymer matrix using wet chemical processing specific to ZnO is reported. Diblock copolymers consisting of polynorbornene and poly(norbornene–dicarboxcylic acid) (NOR/NORCOOH) were synthesized with a block repeat unit ratio of 400 for the first block and 50 for the second block, to obtain spherical microphase separation. The...

Self-assembly of block copolymers has been identified as a potential candidate for high density fabrication of nanostructures. However, the factors affecting its reliability and reproducibility as a patterning technique on various kinds of surfaces are not well-established. Studies pertaining to block copolymer self-assembly have been confined to ultra-flat substrates without taking into consid...

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) has generated wide interest because of its potential in applications such as solid oxide fuel cells, catalysts and optical devices. In these applications, it is important to control the grain size of the material and increase the surface area by introducing porosity with tailored pore size. This paper presents a synthesis route for the preparation of mesoporous zirconia u...