Functional block copolymers for applications in advanced materials, energy storage, and lithography

Block copolymers spontaneously self-assembly into a wide variety of ordered nanostructures on the length scale of 5 - 100 nm due to the thermodynamic immiscibility between the covalently linked, chemically distinct polymer chains. Incorporating desirable functional groups into block copolymer systems can lead to confinement of the functional group to a specific domain upon microphase separation of the block copolymer. The resulting materials display desirable characteristics of the functional group in a well-ordered nanostructure. Such systems have been utilized in a wide variety of applications including catalysis, ceramic materials, and membranes. This dissertation is focused on the synthesis, characterization, self-assembly and materials processing of various functionalized block copolymer systems. An assortment of monomers functionalized with specific groups were prepared and polymerized by a variety of polymerization techniques including atom transfer radical polymerization, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, and ring-opening metathesis polymerization. Self-assembly of the functionalized block copolymers led to well defined nanostructures in bulk and thin films. Depending upon the functional group incorporated, the ordered materials were utilized in various applications including ordered catalysts, energy storage, and templates for nanolithography..