dc.contributor.advisor |
Wickham, Robert |
|
dc.contributor.author |
Roberts, Jeffrey
|
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2018-08-30T16:13:02Z |
|
dc.date.available |
2018-08-30T16:13:02Z |
|
dc.date.copyright |
2018-08 |
|
dc.date.created |
2018-08-21 |
|
dc.date.issued |
2018-08-30 |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/10214/14129 |
|
dc.description.abstract |
Mean-field theory predicts the phase behaviour of block copolymers with a great deal of success, however it systematically overestimates the order-disorder temperature (ODT) due to its inaccurate treatment of fluctuations in the disordered phase. We use Monte Carlo simulation to simulate a fluctuating melt of asymmetric diblock copolymers, and systematically investigate the suppression of the ODT as we decrease the invariant degree of polymerization, N̄, from 10⁶ to 10⁵. Using thermodynamic integration, we compare the ordered BCC sphere phase free energy to that of the disordered phase to locate the ODT. In the low-temperature regime of the disordered phase, we observe and characterize a disordered liquid of micelles that is stabilized by the inclusion of fluctuations in our simulation. We find that decreasing N̄ causes a suppression of the ODT that is in good agreement with a theory where fluctuations are incorporated on a single-mode Hartree level. |
en_US |
dc.language.iso |
en |
en_US |
dc.publisher |
University of Guelph |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Diblock Copolymer |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Monte Carlo |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Order-Disorder Transition |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Fluctuation |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Micelle |
en_US |
dc.subject |
Thermodynamic Integration |
en_US |
dc.title |
Simulating the Fluctuation-Induced Suppression of the Order-Disorder Transition in an Asymmetric Diblock Copolymer Melt |
en_US |
dc.type |
Thesis |
en_US |
dc.degree.programme |
Biophysics |
en_US |
dc.degree.name |
Master of Science |
en_US |
dc.degree.department |
Department of Physics |
en_US |
dc.rights.license |
All items in the Atrium are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
|
dc.degree.grantor |
University of Guelph |
en_US |