Synthesis and polymer effect of multiarm star-shaped and nano-rod polymers

Highly branched polymers such as core-shell polymer microspheres, (AB)(n) stars and star-shaped polymers lead to hierarchical structure transformation of cubic lattices in the film formation to minimize the thermodynamic energy. Thus structural transformation can be explained by a thermal blob model proposed by Daoud and Cotton. We achieved the architecture of polymeric superstructure films by locking the cubic lattices of core-shell microspheres in a poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix. These systems will have numerous applications in technology such as optical and electronic devices. Nano-rod polymers were prepared by the cross-linking reaction of a diblock copolymer exhibiting cylindrical microdomains in the solid sate.