Temperature-Induced Re-Entrant Morphological Transitions in Block-Copolymer Micelles
Abstract
Using a combination of a mean-field theoretical method and the numerical Scheutjens–Fleer self-consistent field approach, we predict that it is possible to have re-entrant morphological transitions in nanostructures of diblock copolymers upon variation in temperature-mediated solubility of the associating blocks. This peculiar effect is explained by the different rates in variation of the density of the collapsed core domains and the corresponding interfacial energy as a function of the temperature. The theoretical findings are supported by existing experimental observations of reversed sequences of the morphological transitions occurring upon temperature variation in solutions of amphiphilic block copolymers.