ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Designing nanoscale polymeric structures: examining the breakdown of the Cahn-Hilliard lengthscale spinodal prediction

Abstract: Demixing of polymer blends via spinodal decomposition provides an effective means to generate polymer bicontinuous nanostructures with applications in membranes for separations to photovoltaics. Predicting demixed phase sizes can be achieved by the well-known Cahn-Hilliard (CHC) theory, which is however expected to break down approaching molecular dimensions. Motivated by both fundamental science and the precise design of nanomaterials, we will experimentally examine this limit (<<50 nm phases) with a combination of one- and two-phase SANS experiments for a model system (PMMAd/SCPE) with rapidly varying interactions with temperature around Ts. This proposal will this examine the limits of polymer demixing based on what is arguably one of the most significant condensed matter theories of the 20th century.

Principal Investigator: Professor Joao Cabral
Local Contact: Dr Robert Dalgliesh
Experimenter: Mr Yutaka Aoki
Experimenter: Dr Haoyu Wang
Experimenter: Dr William Sharratt
Experimenter: Professor Dame Julia Higgins

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1810142

ISIS Experiment Number: RB1810142

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Professor Joao Cabral et al; (2018): Designing nanoscale polymeric structures: examining the breakdown of the Cahn-Hilliard lengthscale spinodal prediction, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB1810142

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.