Periodic Nanostructures From Self Assembled Wedge-Type Block-Copolymers

A structure comprising a supramolecular assembly of a plurality of wedge-type block copolymers;

• wherein each of said wedge-type block copolymers independently comprises:
• a first polymer block comprising at least 10 first repeating units;
• wherein each of said first repeating units of said first polymer block comprises a first polymer backbone group covalently linked to a first wedge group characterized by at least two branch points each terminating in an independent terminating branch moiety comprising at least 4 atoms;
• and
• a second polymer block comprising between at least 10 second repeating units;
• said second polymer block directly or indirectly covalently linked to said first polymer block along a backbone of said wedge-type block copolymer;
• wherein each of said second repeating units of said second polymer block comprises a second polymer backbone group covalently linked to a first polymer side chain group or a second wedge group different from said first wedge group.

A method of making a wedge-type block copolymer comprising the steps of:

• providing first polymer monomers each having a first polymer backbone group linked to a first wedge group characterized by at least two branch points each terminating in an independent terminating branch moiety comprising at least 4 atoms;
• polymerizing said first polymer monomers;
• providing second polymer monomers each having a second polymer backbone group linked to a first polymer side chain group or a second wedge group different from said first wedge block group;
• and
• polymerizing said second polymer monomers to form said wedge-type block copolymer having the formula (FX1a), (FX1b), (FX1c) or (FX1d):
• wherein:
• Z1 is said first polymer backbone group and Z2 is said second polymer backbone group;
• Q1 is a first backbone terminating group and Q2 is a second backbone terminating group;
• L1 is a first linking group, L2 is a second linking group, L3 is a third linking group and L4 is a fourth linking group;
• A and D are each independently a wedge group, wherein A is said first wedge group;
• B and E are each independently a polymer side chain group or a wedge group, wherein B is said first polymer side chain group or said second wedge group;
• and
• each of n and m is independently an integer selected from the range of 20 to 2000.