Nanoporous Network Channels from Self-Assembled Triblock Copolymer Supramolecules

Abstract

Supramolecular complexes of a poly(tert-butoxystyrene)-block-polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) triblock copolymers and less than stoichiometric amounts of pentadecylphenol (PDP) are shown to self-assemble into a core-shell gyroid morphology with the core channels formed by the hydrogen-bonded P4VP(PDP) complexes. After structure formation, PDP was removed using a simple washing procedure, resulting in well-ordered nanoporous films that were used as templates for nickel plating.