Beyond orientation: The impact of electric fields on block copolymers

Since the first report on electric field-induced alignment of block copolymers (BCPs) in 1991, electric fields have been shown not only to direct the orientation of BCP nanostructures in bulk, solution, and thin films, but also to reversibly induce order-order transitions, affect the order-disorder transition temperature, and control morphologies' dimensions with nanometer precision. Theoretical and experimental results of the past years in this very interesting field of research are summarized and future perspectives are outlined. Since 1991, electric fields have been shown to strongly affect block copolymer structures. Aside from alignment, morphological distortions, order-order, and order-disorder transitions have been described both in bulk and thin films. Important findings of the last two decades are summarized and perspectives for future progress in the field of block copolymers in electric fields are outlined.