Nanoparticle-filled ABC Star Triblock Copolymers: A Dissipative Particle Dynamics Study

The phase behavior of nanoparticle-filled ABC star triblock copolymers was investigated by dissipative particle dynamics simulation. Two typical structures, the three-color lamella and polygonal tiling structures, were selected to demonstrate the effect of filling the nanoparticle. Results showed that the filling effects were obvious on the lamellar structure but not on the tiling structure, where the high concentration of fillers can destroy the lamellar structures. The dynamic processes of nanoparticle filling were investigated for the lamellar and tiling structures, where three stages can be sorted by analyzing the system energies and chain conformations. Moreover, the mechanical properties were evaluated for the lamellar structures by exploring the interface tensions. The findings can help us understand the potential applications of microstructures based on complex block copolymers and nanoparticle mixtures.