CONTROLLING MORPHOLOGY OF POLYSTYRENE POLY (VINYL METHYL-ETHER) BLENDS UNDERGOING SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION PROCESS BY PHOTO-CROSS-LINKS

The morphology developing during the spinodal decomposition process of polystyrene (PS)/poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) blends was successfully controlled by photo-crosslink reactions between PS chains. The crosslink reaction was carried out by taking advantage of the photodimerization of anthracene moieties that are labeled on PS chains. Effects of photo-crosslinks on the morphology induced by temperature-jumps (T-jump) from the one-phase region into the spinodal region were examined under several experimental conditions such as T-jump depths and irradiation times. It was found that the concentration fluctuations developing during the spinodal decomposition process were efficiently frozen upon irradiation using a XeF excimer laser as well as a mercury (Hg) lamp. Furthermore, these ordered structures are quite stable upon annealing. These results demonstrate that the morphology developing during the spinodal decomposition process can be well controlled by easily accessible light sources such as high pressure mercury lamps. Thus the photo-crosslink reaction described in this work can provide the basis for a potential technique to design multiphase polymer materials with controllable ordered structures.