Self-assembly of amphiphilic nanoparticle-coil "tadpole" macromolecules

The equilibrium structure of a melt of amphiphilic 'tadpole' copolymers was investigated by using self-consistent field (SCF) and density functional theory (DFT) models. The tadpole copolymers were formed by attaching a flexible chain to a solid, nanoscopic headgroup. It was observed that the phase behavior of the tadpole copolymers differed significantly from that of compositionally comparable diblock copolymers. The results show that the addition of AB diblocks provides a way to control the overall morphology of the system and distribution of the particles within the materials.