Publisher's Synopsis
In this era of portability and fast technological advances, polymers are more than ever under pressure to be economical and offer tailored property profiles. Frequently, the key lies in designing blends and alloys carefully structured at the apposite scale (preferably less than a micrometre) from current polymers. Block copolymers have long been thought to offer the solution. Local segregation of the different polymer blocks yields molecular-scale aggregates of nanometre size. Recent progress in synthetic chemistry has revealed extraordinary opportunities to prepare tailored block copolymers at reasonable cost. Over twenty years of intense academic research and the advent of powerful statistical theories and computational methods should help predict the equilibrium and even non-equilibrium behaviour of copolymers and their blends with other polymers. Polymer nanocomposites have extended beyond the original scope of polymernanocrystal dispersions for refractive-index tuning or clay-filled homopolymers primarily pursued for mechanical reinforcement, to include a wide range of applications. Block Copolymer Nanocomposites highlights recent research efforts in the field of structure formation in block copolymer-based nanocomposite materials, and points out opportunities for novel materials based on inclusion of different types of nanoparticles. Most applications of block copolymers are stemming from their ability to form microdomains in solution and in bulk. Current applications of block copolymers include thermoplastic elastomers and compatibilisation of polymer blends. The potential uses of block copolymers in immerging technologies like nanotechnology, nanolithography, photonics and controlled drug delivery are enormous. The relationships between the chemical structure of block copolymers and their physical properties and their present and future applications are highlighted. In this perspective, the book highlights recent advances in the synthesis and characterisation of block copolymers, discuss several key materials opportunities enabled by block copolymers, and highlight some of the challenges that currently limit further realisation of block copolymers in promising nanoscale applications. It provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis and characterization of nanocomposites based on block copolymers. It is suitable for advanced graduate-level students, researechers and practiitoners, covering in great depth research results in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
