Janus nanoparticles meet block copolymer scaffolds: on the influence of nanoparticle sizes

Abstract

Janus nanoparticles possessing two spherical caps usually exhibit strong interfacial affinity, providing the possibility to create nanocomposites with controlled arrangement of nanoparticles. Here we extended the self-consistent field theory/density functional theory to study the position of the Janus nanoparticles in block copolymer scaffolds. The results demonstrated that the Janus nanoparticles exhibit a size-dependent distribution and orientation in block copolymer scaffolds. The smaller Janus nanoparticles are almost uniformly dispersed in the matrix, while the larger Janus nanoparticles are strongly attached to the interface. Meanwhile, the orientational order parameters of the Janus nanoparticles increase with increasing their sizes. The relative size of the spherical caps also shows a pronounced effect on the Janus nanoparticle distributions. As one of the spherical caps becomes smaller, the Janus nanoparticles partly migrate to the domains preferred by the larger spherical caps, but still remain strongly attached to the interface. The present study can provide an insight into the effect of size on the interfacial activity of the Janus nanoparticles, guiding the design of functional materials with advanced properties.