Phase and orientational ordering of A–B–A tri-block co-polymers guest in a quenched host of low molecular weight rod molecules

We investigate the effects of thermodynamical variables, intermol. interactions and block lengths on phase and orientational ordering of guest tri-block co-polymers in a host glassy matrix of short mol. rods. The A and B blocks can align to the short rod mols. Using a field theoretic formulation we demonstrate the occurrence of a nematic-nematic (N/N) first order transition from a guest stabilized to a guest-host stabilized region, a reentrant transition from a guest stabilized nematic region to a host only stabilized regime via an isotropic phase and the possibility to selectively stabilize the orientation of the A or/and B blocks. [on SciFinder(R)]