Phase diagram of rod-coil diblock copolymer melts by self-consistent field theory

A unified phase diagram is presented for rod-coil diblock copolymer melts in the isotropic phase regime as a function of the asymmetric parameter. The study is based on free-energy calculation, which incorporates three-dimensional spatial variations of the volume fraction with angular dependence. The wormlike-chain model is used in a self-consistent field treatment. Body-centered cubic, A15, hexagonal, gyroid, and lamellar structures where the rod segments are packed inside the convex rod-coil interface are found stable. As the conformational asymmetric parameter increases, the A15 phase region expands and the gyroid phase region reduces. The stability of the structures is analyzed by concepts such as packing frustration, spinodal limit, and interfacial curvature.