Competing short-range and long-range interactions in block copolymers: A role of connectivity in polymer science

We explored a role of connectivity in polymer science by using two model systems: mixtures of two lamella-forming block copolymers with short and long chain lengths and triblock terpolymers of polyisoprene-block-polystyrene-block-poly(vinyl methyl ether). These two systems commonly have enriched competitions or interplays of short-range segmental interactions and long-range interactions arising from connectivity between block chains and their packing in the respective domains. The enriched interplays were found to give an intriguing cosurfactant effect for the block copolymer mixtures and interesting two-step microphase transitions for the triblcock terpolymers.