Phase behaviour of active particles in block copolymer melts

TL;DR

This paper explores how active Brownian particles interact with block copolymer melts, revealing their ability to form organized structures and influence polymer morphology depending on activity levels.

Contribution

It demonstrates the co-assembly of active particles with block copolymers and how activity modulates structure formation and morphology.

Findings

Active particles form organized structures like trains and vortices at moderate activity.

High activity causes particle swarms that distort copolymer morphology.

Block copolymers can control active particle self-propulsion and assembly.

Abstract

Block copolymer melts offer a unique template to control the position and alignment of nanoparticles due to their ability to self-assemble into periodic ordered structures. Active Brownian particles are shown to co-assemble with block copolymers leading to emergent organised structures. The block copolymer acts as a soft confinement that can control the self-propulsion of the active Brownian particles, both for interface-segregated and selective nanoparticles. At moderate activity regimes, active Brownian particles can form organised structures such as polarised trains or rotating vortexes. At high activity, the contrast in the polymeric and colloidal time scales can lead to particle swarms with distorted block copolymer morphology, due to the competition between the polymeric self-assembly and the active Brownian self-propulsion.