The effect of nanoscale confinement on the local polymer dynamics has been studied by
means of dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency range from 10 mHz to 1 MHz. We have used microphase-separated PS/LC block copolymers (PS = polystyrene, LC = liquid crystalline). Depending on volume
fraction, the LC blocks were confined to a layer with thickness of 21.3 and 11.2 nm (lamellae morphology)
or were contained in domains of cylindrical or spherical form with diameter of 12.6 and 9.4 nm,
respectively. At lower concentration of PS blocks, the LC copolymer form a continuous LC matrix with
cylindrical inclusions of PS component. For all morphologies the LC block reveals two dielectric relaxations
related to the local motion of mesogen (β process) and spacer (γ process). The relaxation time as well as
the activation energy for the γ process was independent of spatial constraints even for the smallest
characteristic length of 9.4 nm. The β relaxation, however, speeds up, and its activation energy decreases
for confinement lengths less than 20 nm. The γ process has an essentially noncooperative nature, whereas
the β process exhibits a positive apparent activation entropy, reflecting a partial cooperative feature. As
a result, the β relaxation is affected by confinement just as the essentially cooperative dynamic glass
transition (α relaxation) in polymers.