Orientation of PE Chains in the Cylinder-Forming PVCH-PE-PVCH Triblock Copolymer

Orientation of PE chains for cylindrical poly(vinylcyclohexane)-b-poly(ethylene)-b-poly(vinylcyclohexane) (PVCH-PE-PVCH) samples pressed and spincoated respectively were investigated. The changes of the in plane rocking vibration of —CH2— groups which belonging to the PE crystalline domains were measured by polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that the chains of the PE crystal preferred to align parallel to the direction of the cylindrical microdomains in the pressed samples, owing to the PE main chains oriented along the direction of the external force. The extention of orientation of the PE chains increased by annealing. However, in the spincoated films, the PE chains preferred to orient perpendicular to the cylinder axis of the cylindrical microdomains.