Self-assembly in casting solutions of block copolymer membranes
D. Marques, U. Vainio, N.M. Chaparro, V. M. Calo, A.R. Bezahd, J. Pitera, K.-V. Peinemann and S.P. Nunes
Soft Matter 9 (23), 5557- 5564, (2013)
Membranes with exceptional pore regularity and high porosity were obtained from block copolymer solutions. We demonstrate by small-angle X-ray scattering that the order which gives rise to the pore morphology is already incipient in the casting solution. Hexagonal order was confirmed in PS-b-P4VP 175k-b-65k solutions in DMF/THF/dioxane with concentrations as high as 24 wt%, while lamellar structures were obtained in more concentrated solutions in DMF or DMF/dioxane. The change in order has been understood with the support of dissipative particle dynamic modeling.