Nanostructured thermosets from self-assembled amphiphilic block copolymer/epoxy resin mixtures: effect of copolymer content on nanostructures

Nanostructure formation in thermosets can allow the design of materials with interesting properties. The aim of this work was to obtain a nanostructured epoxy system by self-assembly of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer in an unreacted epoxy/amine mixture followed by curing of the matrix. The copolymer employed was polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA). The thermoset system, formed by a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A-type epoxy resin and diaminodiphenylmethane hardener, was chosen to ensure the miscibility of most of the PMMA block until matrix gelation. Transparent materials with microphase-separated domains were obtained for copolymer contents lower than 40 wt%. In systems containing 20 and 30 wt% block copolymer, the PS block formed spherical micelles or worm-like structures before curing, which were stabilized through curing by the more compatible PMMA block phase. Nanostructured thermoset systems were successfully synthesized for self-assembled amphiphilic block copolymer-epoxy/amine mixtures for copolymer contents lower than 40 wt%. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry