High Chi Polymers from Hydrophobic Initiators for Ultra-Small Microphase Separation

This thesis investigates the influence of hydrophobic end groups on polymer chain self-assembly. Using controlled radical polymerisation, polymers are made with low molecular weights and low molecular weight distributions, and fully characterised using thermal and spectroscopic techniques. Polymers with highly hydrophobic end groups and low molecular weights assemble into microstructures with feature sizes as small as 3.4 nm, one of the smallest values reported in literature. This characteristic is useful in drug delivery applications or the microelectronics industry, as smaller feature sizes are obtainable compared to current methods.