Functional nanomaterials based on block copolymer self-assembly

Abstract

Block copolymers have received considerable attention as a promising platform for the synthesis of nanomaterials and fabrication of nanostructures because of their self-assembling nature to form periodically ordered structures in the nanometer-scale range. By controlling the composition and architecture of individual block components, a variety of nanoscale morphologies can be obtained. After a brief overview of the phase behavior of block copolymers. we highlight recent advances in the fabrication of various functional nanomaterials based on block copolymer of self-assembly and their potential applications. Future perspectives on block copolymers are briefly mentioned. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.