Investigating microstructure formation in block copolymer membranes with dynamic self-consistent field theory*

Block copolymers have garnered much interest as candidate materials for ultrafiltration membranes, due to their ability to self-assemble an isoporous selective layer at the membrane surface. However, the vast number of formulation and processing variables has remained an obstacle for understanding the structural evolution of the surface layer and porous substructure. Here, we employ dynamical self-consistent field theory to investigate the effects of various parameters such as film composition and solvent selectivity on the resulting development of the porous substructure. We discuss the impact of each parameter on pore size distribution and the underlying micellar morphology that is a precursor to the membrane substructure.