Emergence of multi-stranded helices by the self-assembly of a new AB-type multiblock copolymer under cylindrical confinement

Novel nanostructures can emerge from the self-assembly of block copolymers under geometrical confinements due to the modification to the competition between interfacial energy and stretching energy. In particular, it is very appealing that helical structures can be formed by achiral AB deblock copolymers under cylindrical confinement. However, helical structures with strands more than two are rarely discovered. In previous works, most of block copolymers are hexagonal cylinder-forming in bulk. Herein, we consider a new AB-type multiblock copolymer, whose bulk cylindrical phase can be regulated by the architecture from hexagonal lattice to tetragonal one or even a graphene-like lattice. Our self-consistent field theory calculations suggest that this copolymer under cylindrical confinement can form helical structures with strands varying between 1 and 6. Our work provides a facile way for the fabrication of helical structures with a large number of strands.