Symmetry breaking in phase separation of binary polymer mixtures induced by linearly polarized light

Tran-Cong, Qui; Kataoka, K.; Urakawa, Osamu

doi:10.1103/physreve.57.r1243

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In general, the morphologies of multiphase materials can be characterized by two principal factors: the characteristic length scale and the regularity of the structures. For the phase separation process developing from miscible blends, the former can be controlled by varying thermodynamic quantities such as quench depths or polymer diffusion, whereas the latter requires some sort of spatial symmetry breaking of the order parameter . Therefore, the most efficient way of controlling morphology requires the regulation of both the wavelengths as well as the symmetry of these instabilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase Separation of Binary Polymer Blends Driven by Photoisomerization: An Example for a Wavelength-Selection Process in Polymers

1998

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Phase separation of polystyrene derivatives (PSS) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) mixtures was induced in the one-phase region by using photoisomerization of trans-stilbene moieties labeled on the PSS chains. The phase separation was monitored by phase-contrast optical microscopy and was analyzed using digital image analysis under various experimental conditions such as temperature, light intensity, and the blend composition. During the reaction, the spontaneous pinning of the phase separation process was observed as predicted by the linear stability analysis of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations (TDGL) proposed recently for chemically reacting systems. The photoisomerization in the one-phase region of the blends does not follow the mean-field kinetics and can be well expressed by the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts mechanism. By varying the annealing time and the reaction rates, it was found that the elastic stress resulting from the reaction inhomogeneity plays a key role in the emergence of lamella-like morphology. The correspondence between the phase separation of polymer blends accompanied by a reversible reaction and the microphase separation of diblock copolymers is discussed by comparing these experimental data with recent simulation using the TDGL equation for reacting mixtures. Finally, the morphology control based on phase separation induced by reversible reactions is discussed in terms of a wavelength selection process.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase Separation of Binary Polymer Blends Driven by Photoisomerization: An Example for a Wavelength-Selection Process in Polymers

1998

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“…Light absorbed in such liquids can change microstructures on a molecular level, which in turn alter mechanical=electrical functions of the coatings. Despite the potential utilities of light-responsive fluids, previous drying studies have been restricted to photo-curable liquids, in which photosensitive monomers can polymerize via cross-linking reactions [1][2][3] Here we report the alternative case where light irradiation promotes an orientation and=or conformational change of a single, non-polymerizable molecule.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Light-Tunable Solvent Drying in Photo-Responsive Solution Coatings

et al. 2007

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Solvent drying rate of azobenzene/acetone solution coating was tunable by linearly polarized UV light. The light exposure promotes the photo-induced conformational change of azobenzene from its trans to its cis form, as well as the molecular alignment perpendicular to a polarization direction. Drying experiments of the photoresponsive solutions revealed that angled irradiation of s-polarized light showed a peculiar angle-dependent drying behavior, while no dependence was observed for the p-polarized light irradiation. The photo-induced solvent drying was observed in a particular range of azobenzene weight fractions and UV light intensities, suggesting a promising way to tune solvent drying rates by light.

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“…It was found in these experiments that the phase separation was selectively induced and then frozen along the polarization direction of the exciting light 8,9) . The emergence of the anisotropic morphology observed under this particular irradiation condition was attributed to the freezing of the anisotropic concentration fluctuations induced by the spatial selectivity of the reaction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Anisotropic phase separation of polymer blends induced by polarization-selective photoisomerization

Endoh

Tran-Cong²

1999

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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SUMMARY: Anisotropic phase separation of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PS/PVME) blends was induced by photoisomerization of trans-stilbene moieties labeled on the PS chains (abbreviated hereafter as PSS chains) using linearly polarized light. As temperature increases, the anisotropy becomes weaker and eventually disappears at 10 8C above the glass transition of the PSS component. It was concluded that the elastic stress associated with the spatial distribution of the reaction is responsible for this morphological anisotropy.

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Symmetry breaking in phase separation of binary polymer mixtures induced by linearly polarized light

Cited by 13 publications

References 17 publications

Phase Separation of Binary Polymer Blends Driven by Photoisomerization: An Example for a Wavelength-Selection Process in Polymers

Phase Separation of Binary Polymer Blends Driven by Photoisomerization: An Example for a Wavelength-Selection Process in Polymers

Light-Tunable Solvent Drying in Photo-Responsive Solution Coatings

Anisotropic phase separation of polymer blends induced by polarization-selective photoisomerization

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