Arrangement of block copolymer microdomains confined inside hemispherical cavities

We investigated, via scanning and transmission electron microscopy, the arrangement of the microdomains of symmetric polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer (PS-b-PMMA) confined in hemispherical cavities. The hemispherical cavities were prepared by using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, where the inner surface of the cavities was modified by thin brush layers of PS, PMMA, and PS-ran-PMMA copolymer. When the inner surface of the cavity is strongly selective to PS chains, concentric rings consisting of PS and PMMA microdomains are formed, replicating the confined geometry of hemisphere. However, as the selectivity of a brush to PS chains becomes weaker, various interesting morphologies are formed that have not been reported in the literature. The experimentally observed microdomain arrangement confined inside the hemispherical cavities was compared with the simulation results based on the dynamic Metropolis Monte Carlo method.