Preparation and characterization of V-shaped PS-b-PEO brushes anchored on planar gold substrate through the trithiocarbonate junction group.

Trithiocarbonate group was introduced into the polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) block copolymers as the junction of the blocks through RAFT polymerization. Mixed PS and PEO brushes with a V-shape were prepared by anchoring the trithiocarbonate group on the planar gold substrate. The morphology of the V-shaped brushes was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the surface composition responsive to solvent treatment was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Different morphologies were observed for the V-shaped PS-b-PEO brushes, depending on the chain structure and solvent treatment. The highly selective solvent for PEO, ethanol, can intensify or induce microphase separation of the V-shaped brushes, leading to vertical microphase separation. When the V-shaped brushes are treated with the co-solvent, THF, miscible morphology, lateral microphase separation, and vertical microphase separation are observed as the PS block length increases. After treatment with the non-selective poor solvent, cyclohexane, the V-shaped PS(106)-b-PEO(113) brush, exhibits a laterally microphase-separated morphology, but the V-shaped PS(52)-b-PEO(113) and PS(253)-b-PEO(113) brushes are vertically microphase-separated.