Incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles into lamellar polystyrene-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer films: influence of the chain end-groups on nanostructuration

TL;DR

This study explores how magnetic nanoparticles incorporated into lamellar polystyrene-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) films affect nanostructure formation, emphasizing the role of chain end-groups and nanoparticle size distribution.

Contribution

It demonstrates the influence of chain end-groups on lamellar nanostructuration and shows how nanoparticle size distribution impacts the self-assembly process.

Findings

Chain end-groups significantly affect lamellar order.

Nanoparticle size distribution influences nanostructure regularity.

Surface initiated-ATRP controls nanoparticle size effectively.

Abstract

In this article, we present new samples of lamellar magnetic nanocomposites based on the self-assembly of a polystyrene-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymer films were loaded with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles covered with polystyrene chains grown by surface initiated-ATRP. The nanostructuration of the pure and magnetically loaded copolymer films on silicon was studied by atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, neutron reflectivity and contact angle measurement. The present study highlights the strong influence of the copolymer extremity - driven itself by the choice of the ATRP chemical route - on the order of the repetition sequences of the blocks in the multi-lamellar films. In addition, a narrower distribution of the nanoparticles' sizes was examined as a control parameter of the SI-ATRP reaction.