Self-Assembly of the Block Copolymer Containing Discotic Mesogens Driven by Liquid Crystalline Ordering Effect

Block copolymers (BCPs) have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to form a variety of complex assemblies with diverse morphologies and functions in solution. By incorporating liquid crystalline (LC) moieties, the LC side chains significantly affect the morphologies and sizes of BCP assemblies. In this study, we synthesized the copolymer with an LC block containing triphenylene (HAT) discotic mesogen and short methylene side chains. By enhancing the π-π interaction between triphenylene discotic mesogens, and doping the discotic mesogens, the LC orderedness was significantly enhanced and able to dictate the self-assembly behaviors of the BCP in solution. Additionally, the lengths of resultant fibrillar micelles were easily tuned by adjusting the dopant content. More interestingly, two growth modes, nucleation growth and coupling, were observed during the formation of fibrils. Consequently, with long-term aging and sufficient concentration, a large portion of these fibrils underwent end-to-end coupling to form long fibrils, allowing the formation of organogel via inter-fibrillar entanglement.