Fig. 5: Material state-space complexity.
From: Priming self-assembly pathways by stacking block copolymers
Proposed explanation for the effect of primed states on self-assembly pathway diversity. The shape of the graph should be regarded as schematic only; nevertheless, it is based on the underlying self-assembly phenomena. Pathway primed self-assembly proceeds along three general axes: composition gradient (\(\lambda\)), morphology (\(\eta\)), and ordering (\(t\)). The pathway primed initial configurations (t = 0; states a1–e1) capture the different layer orders and width of interface (\(\lambda\) = 0 represents a blend film). Some systems are principally convergent (such as combinations of C and L), with different initial states passing through transient states but ultimately reaching a common final state. In other systems, kinetic barriers may separate ordering histories.
