Triblock brush block copolymers

1. A brush block copolymer comprising:

a first polymer block and a third polymer block each independently comprising at least 3 first repeating units, wherein each of said first repeating units of said first and third polymer blocks comprises a first polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to an ionophobic polymer side chain group;

a second polymer block comprising at least 3 second repeating units; wherein each of said second repeating units of said second polymer block comprises a second polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to an ionophilic polymer side chain group;

wherein said second polymer block is directly or indirectly covalently linked to both said first polymer block and said third polymer block along a backbone and said second polymer block is positioned between said first polymer block and said third polymer block.

2. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein said brush block copolymer is a triblock brush copolymer.

3. The brush block copolymer of claim 2 , wherein said triblock brush copolymer is defined by the formula A′-B-A″, wherein A′ is said first polymer block, B is said second polymer block, and A″ is said third polymer block.

4. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 having a number average molecular weight selected from the range of 500 Daltons to 2,000,000 Daltons.

5. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 comprising 3 to 1000 of said first repeating units in said first polymer block, 3 to 1000 of said second repeating units, and 3 to 1000 of said first repeating units in said third polymer block.

6. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein each of said ionophobic polymer side chains independently has 3 to 100 repeating units and each of said ionophilic polymer side chains has 3 to 100 repeating units.

7. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 defined by the formula (FX1a), (FX1b), (FX1c), (FX1d), (FX1e), (FX1f), (FX1g) or (FX1h):

wherein each Z 1 is independently a first polymer backbone group and each Z 2 is independently a second polymer backbone group;

wherein Q 1 is a first backbone terminating group and Q 2 is a second backbone terminating group;

wherein each L 1 is independently a first linking group, each L 2 is independently a second linking group, each L 3 is independently a third linking group, and each L 4 is independently a fourth linking group;

wherein each P 1 is independently said ionophobic polymer side chain group and each P 2 is independently said ionophilic polymer side chain group; and

wherein m, n and p are each independently an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000.

8. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 , wherein each Z 1 connected to L 1 , L 3 , P 1 or a combination thereof is independently defined by the formula (FX2a), (FX2b), (FX2c), (FX2d), (FX2e) or (FX2f):

wherein each L 1 is independently a first linking group and each L 3 is independently a third linking group;

wherein each P 1 is independently an ionophobic polymer side chain; and

m is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000.

9. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 , wherein each Z 2 connected to L 1 , L 3 , P 1 or a combination thereof is independently defined by the formula (FX3a), (FX3b), (FX3c), (FX3d), (FX3e) or (FX3f):

wherein each L 2 is independently a second linking group and each L 4 is independently a fourth linking group;

wherein each P 2 is independently an ionophilic polymer side chain; and

n is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000.

10. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 , wherein each L 1 , L 2 , L 3 and L 4 is independently defined by the formula (FX5a), (FX5b) or (FX5c):

wherein r is an integer selected from the range of 1 to 5.

11. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 , wherein each ionophobic polymer side chain is independently defined by the formula (FX5a) or (FX5b):

wherein x is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100;

wherein R 1 is a hydrogen, C 1 -C 30 alkyl, C 3 -C 30 cycloalkyl, C 5 -C 30 aryl, C 5 -C 30 heteroaryl, C 1 -C 30 acyl, C 1 -C 30 hydroxyl, C 1 -C 30 alkoxy, C 2 -C 30 alkenyl, C 2 -C 30 alkynyl, C 5 -C 30 alkylaryl, —CO 2 R 3 , —CONR 4 R 5 , —COR 6 , —SOR 7 , —OSR 8 , —SO 2 R 9 , —OR 10 , —SR 11 , —NR 12 R 13 , —NR 14 COR 15 , C 1 -C 30 alkyl halide, phosphonate, phosphonic acid, silane, siloxane, silsesquioxane, C 2 -C 30 halocarbon chain, C 2 -C 30 perfluorocarbon, C 2 -C 30 polyethylene glycol, a metal, or a metal complex, wherein each of R 3 -R 15 is independently H, C 5 -C 10 aryl or C 1 -C 10 alkyl.

12. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 , wherein each ionophilic polymer side chain is independently defined by the formula (FX6a), (FX6b), (FX6c) or (FX6d):

wherein y is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100;

wherein each R 1 and R 2 is independently a hydrogen, C 1 -C 30 alkyl, C 3 -C 30 cycloalkyl, C 5 -C 30 aryl, C 5 -C 30 heteroaryl, C 1 -C 30 acyl, C 1 -C 30 hydroxyl, C 1 -C 30 alkoxy, C 2 -C 30 alkenyl, C 2 -C 30 alkynyl, C 5 -C 30 alkylaryl, —CO 2 R 3 , —CONR 4 R 5 , —COR 6 , —SOR 7 , —OSR 8 , —SO 2 R 9 , —OR 10 , —SR 11 , —NR 12 R 13 , —NR 14 COR 15 , C 1 -C 30 alkyl halide, phosphonate, phosphonic acid, silane, siloxane, silsesquioxane, C 2 -C 30 halocarbon chain, C 2 -C 30 perfluorocarbon, C 2 -C 30 polyethylene glycol, a metal, or a metal complex, wherein each of R 3 -R 15 is independently H, C 5 -C 10 aryl or C 1 -C 10 alkyl.

13. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 defined by the formula (FX7):

wherein each Z 1 is independently a first polymer backbone group and each Z 2 is independently a second polymer backbone group;

wherein Q 1 is said first backbone terminating group and Q 2 is said second backbone terminating group;

wherein each L 1 is independently a first linking group and each L 2 is independently a second linking group;

wherein m, n and p are each independently an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000; and

wherein x is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100 and y is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100.

14. The brush block copolymer of claim 7 defined by the formula (FX8):

wherein Q 1 is said first backbone terminating group and Q 2 is said second backbone terminating group;

wherein m, n and p are each independently an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000; and

wherein x is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100 and y is an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100.

15. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 further comprising a fourth polymer block comprising at least 3 second repeating units, wherein each of said second repeating units of said fourth polymer block comprises a second polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to a ionophilic polymer side chain group, wherein said fourth polymer block is directly or indirectly covalently linked to said first polymer block or said third polymer block along a backbone and said fourth polymer block is not adjacent to said second polymer block.

16. The brush block copolymer of claim 15 , wherein said brush block copolymer is defined by the formula A′-B′-A″-B″, wherein A′ is said first polymer block, B′ is said second polymer block, A″ is said third polymer block and B″ is said fourth polymer block.

17. The brush block copolymer of claim 15 further comprising a fifth polymer block comprising at least 3 first repeating units, wherein each of said first units of said fifth polymer block comprises a first polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to a ionophobic polymer side chain group, wherein said fifth polymer block is directly or indirectly covalently linked to said fourth polymer block along a backbone and said fifth polymer block is not adjacent to said first polymer block or said third polymer block.

18. The brush block copolymer of claim 17 , wherein said brush block copolymer is defined by the formula A′-B′-A″-B″-A′″, wherein A′ is said first polymer block, B′ is said second polymer block, A″ is said third polymer block, B″ is said fourth polymer block and A′″ is said fifth polymer block.

19. The brush block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein said brush block copolymer is synthesized via a grafting through approach.

20. A plurality of said brush block copolymers of claim 1 , wherein said brush block copolymers undergo self-assembly to form a physically cross-linked network.

21. A brush block copolymer comprising:

a first polymer block comprising at least 3 first repeating units, wherein each of said first repeating units of said first polymer block comprises a first polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to a first polymer side chain group;

a second polymer block comprising at least 3 second repeating units; wherein each of said second repeating units of said second polymer block comprises a second polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to a second polymer side chain group; and

a third polymer block comprising at least 3 third repeating units; wherein each of said third repeating units of said third polymer block comprises a third polymer backbone group directly or indirectly covalently linked to a third polymer side chain group;

wherein said second polymer block is directly or indirectly covalently linked to both said first polymer block and said third polymer block along a backbone and said second polymer block is positioned between said first polymer block and said third polymer block;

wherein said first polymer block, said second polymer block and said third polymer block are characterized by a chain grafting density equal to 100%; and

wherein said brush block copolymer is defined by the formula (FX11):

wherein Q 1 is said first backbone terminating group and Q 2 is said second backbone terminating group;

r is an integer selected from the range of 1 to 5;

wherein m, n and p are each independently an integer selected from the range of 3 to 1000;

wherein x, y and z are each independently an integer selected from the range of 3 to 100.