Grafting density and binding site distribution as tools for tuning layered morphologies in mesogenic polymer complexes

The proposed experiment is aimed at investigating the self-assembly processes in ionically-linked complexes formed by wedge-shaped amphiphilic mesogens and either homopolymer poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) or statistical copolymers of 4-vinylpyridine and styrene with the same molar ratio of mesogen to polymer, but differing in the distribution of ionic binding sites along the polymer chain, for use as controlled-release nanocontainers. In particular, we aim to explore how the spatial distribution of mesogen-binding sites along the polymer backbone affects the aggregation behavior and structural organization of mesogens within confined layers. Temperature-resolved in-situ SAXS/WAXS experiments will be performed to elucidate the structural evolution during thermal annealing and solvent vapor treatment, allowing us to monitor the formation of ordered morphologies and to assess the influence of copolymer composition on mesogen orientation and packing.