Title: Self-consistent field theoretic simulations of amphiphilic triblock copolymer solutions: Polymer concentration and chain length effects
Author(s):

	X.-G. Han (Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Utilization of Bayan Obo Multi-Metallic Resources: Elected State Key Laboratory, Inmongolia Science and Technology University, Baotou 014010, China; School of Mathematics, Physics and Biology, Inmongolia Science and Technology University, Baotou 014010, China) ,
	Y.-H. Ma (Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Utilization of Bayan Obo Multi-Metallic Resources: Elected State Key Laboratory, Inmongolia Science and Technology University, Baotou 014010, China; School of Mathematics, Physics and Biology, Inmongolia Science and Technology University, Baotou 014010, China)

Using the self-consistent field lattice model, polymer concentration φ_P and chain length N (keeping the length ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic blocks constant) the effects on temperature-dependent behavior of micelles are studied, in amphiphilic symmetric ABA triblock copolymer solutions. When chain length is increased, at fixed φ_P, micelles occur at higher temperature. The variations of average volume fraction of stickers φ_co^s and the lattice site numbers N_co^ls at the micellar cores with temperature are dependent on N and φ_P, which demonstrates that the aggregation of micelles depends on N and φ_P. Moreover, when φ_P is increased, firstly a peak appears on the curve of specific heat C_V for unimer-micelle transition, and then in addition a primary peak, the secondary peak, which results from the remicellization, is observed on the curve of C_V. For a long chain, in intermediate and high concentration regimes, the shape of specific heat peak markedly changes, and the peak tends to be a more broad peak. Finally, the aggregation behavior of micelles is explained by the aggregation way of amphiphilic triblock copolymer. The obtained results are helpful in understanding the micellar aggregation process.

Key words: micelle, self-consistent field, amphiphilic copolymer
PACS: 61.25.Hp, 64.75.+g, 82.60.Fa

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