Enhancing mechanical performance of epoxy thermosets via designing a block copolymer to self-organize into “core–shell” nanostructure

Abstract

A rigid-flexible amphiphilic pentablock copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-polydimethylsiloxane-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-polystyrene (PS-PCL-PDMS-PCL-PS, SLDLS), was designed. SLDLS block copolymers will self-organize into “core–shell” nanostructures in epoxy thermosets, with rigid PS as the “shell” and flexible PDMS as the “core”. Due to the incorporation of the “core–shell” nanostructures, the tensile strength and toughness of the epoxy composites were simultaneously improved and the storage modulus maintained. It is believed that designing specific structures in epoxy resins through self-organization could provide new methods for the preparation of advanced functional epoxy composites.