A soft-quadrumer model for diblock copolymers

2010

We present a new soft-particle type model for diblock copolymers and compare its phase diagram to experimental data as well as to results of other models. To determine the phase diagram we suggest studying geometrical characteristics of the mesophases. Diblock copolymer mesophases differ by the number and geometrical form of clusters of the two components formed in the mesophase. The form of these clusters can be characterized by values of the principle components of their gyration tensor and shape invariants determined from them. Alternatively, it has been suggested to use Minkowski functionals to characterize the global morphology of the different mesophases. We will also discuss the prac…