Method of variation of contrast in neutron scattering studies of conformations of block copolymers forming a microdomain structure

The registration of the signal of small angle neutron scattering from a single deuterated chain in a superstructure formed by block copolymers is difficult due to Bragg diffraction. A method is proposed to avoid this diffraction by turning the interdomain neutron contrast to zero. This is attained by means of synthesis of each block of the polystyrene -polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer as a statistical copolymer of H and D monomers. The radius of gyration of the deuterated polybutadiene block was measured by neutron scattering.