Multiblock Polymers: Panacea or Pandora’s Box?

Abstract

Getting Around the Block Diblock copolymers provide a rich variety of morphologies that depend on the length of the polymer blocks, the overall fraction of each block, and their chemical dissimilarity. New synthetic methods have made it possible to make copolymers with three or more components and in a range of chemical architectures. However, this growth in design choices can offer too many variables to work with, and rational design is important, especially when trying to transform small-scale products in engineered commodities. Bates et al. (p. 434) review the opportunities and complexities that exist when working in this expanded playground of block copolymers.