Modeling microstructure formation in block copolymer membranes using dynamical self-consistent field theory

Block copolymers have attracted recent interest as candidate materials for ultrafiltration membranes, due to their ability to self-assemble an isoporous selective layer at the membrane surface. However, the dependence of surface layer and substructure morphologies on the many processing variables for block copolymer membranes is not well understood. Here, we use dynamical self-consistent field theory to simulate the microstructure evolution of block copolymer membranes during the phase inversion process. In particular, we find that the block selectivities of the solvent and nonsolvent dramatically affect the resulting microstructure. We discuss the implications of the observed trends on the choices of solvent and nonsolvent in the processing context.