Phase separation of polystyrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene (SEBS) deposited on polystyrene thin films

Phase separation of a triblock copolymer, polystyrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene (SEBS) on the thin films of a homopolymer, polystyrene (PS), was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The final morphology after phase separation was found to be greatly dependent on the relation between the molecular weight of the PS block and homo-PS. Dispersed spherical and worm-like micelles of SEBS were observed when the molecular weight of homo-PS is smaller than the PS block in SEBS, while large structures with inner micro-phase separation of SEBS was found when the molecular weight of homo-PS was much higher than that of the PS block. The origin of such a change in morphology is attributed to the difference of structure and interfacial tension at the interface between the matrix homo-PS and the PS block in SEBS triblock copolymer assembly.