Phase Diagram for a Diblock Copolymer Melt under Cylindrical Confinement

Abstract

We extensively study the phase diagram of a diblock copolymer melt confined in a cylindrical nanopore using real-space self-consistent mean-field theory. We discover a rich variety of new two-dimensional structures that have no analogue in the unconfined system. These include nonhexagonally coordinated cylinder phases and structures intermediate between lamellae and cylinders. We map the stability regions and phase boundaries for all the structures we find. As the pore diameter is decreased, the pore accommodates fewer cylindrical domains and structural transitions occur as cylinders are eliminated. Our results are consistent with experiments, but we also predict phases yet to be observed.