Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.138, No.36, 11501-11504, 2016
Graft-through Synthesis and Assembly of Janus Bottlebrush Polymers from A-Branch-B Diblock Macromonomers
We report the synthesis of Janus bottle brush block copolymers by graft-through polymerization of branched diblock macromonomers. Self-assembly of the bottlebrushes was characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Phase separation and packing models of the bottlebrushes were computed, and their self-assembly behavior was corroborated experimentally in bulk and in thin films. Lamellar, hexagonal cylinder, and gyroid phases were observed and modeled. The A-branch-B Janus bottlebrush structure provides several unique advantages in the context of bottlebrush polymer assembly, including access to the first examples of gyroid phases.