Archimedean Tiling Structures from ABA/CD Block Copolymer Blends Having Intermolecular Association with Hydrogen Bonding

Self-assembled phase structures of ABA/CD block copolymer blends were investigated. A pair of poly(2-vinylpyridine- block -isoprene- block -2-vinylpyridine) (PIP-91) whose molar ratio of polyisoprene and poly(2-vinylpyridine) is 0.93:0.07 and poly(styrene- block -4-hydroxystyrene) (SH-91) whose molar ratios is 0.86:0.14 were used as samples. Two component polymers, i.e., poly(2-vinylpyridine) and poly(4-hydroxystyrene), are confirmed to form complex via hydrogen-bonding interaction by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. Structural observation using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that PIP-91/SH-91 blends form new regular three-phase cylindrical structures having I, S, and P/H phases, the third one being conformed of intermolecular complex from P and H chains. The cross sections of the structures show periodic two-dimensional tiling patterns from regular polygons, which must be due to “bridged” PIP chains. Consequently, new mesoscopic Archimedean tiling patterns, that is, (3 3 .4 2 ) and (3.4.6.4), have been formed from this blend system.