Stabilizing the Frank-Kasper Phases via Binary Blends of AB Diblock Copolymers

The emergence of the complex Frank-Kasper phases from binary mixtures of AB diblock copolymers is studied using the self-consistent field theory. The relative stability of different ordered phases, including the Frank-Kasper σ and A15 phases containing nonspherical minority domains with different sizes, is examined by a comparison of their free energy. The resulting phase diagrams reveal that the σ phase occupies a large region in the phase …