Crystallization of Asymmetric PEO-b-PCL from Different Solvents

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL) copolymers have received a lot of attention due to their biocompatibility and amphiphilicity. One unique characteristic is that PEO and PCL have similar crystallization behavior, thus making them a robust model for phase behavior studies. Our previous work showed that the crystallization order could be switched in symmetric copolymers (nearly equal mass fraction) through selective solvent interactions. Further work has been done to identify similar behavior in asymmetric systems. Relative crystallinity and morphology are varied in as-cast films based on solvent characteristics.