Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Crosslinked Copolymers via Sequence and Solvent‐Selective Swelling for Vat Photopolymerization

Abstract

ABSTRACT Block copolymers (BCPs) offer distinct advantages for vat photopolymerization by enabling mechanically programmable network structures through microphase‐separated morphologies that can be kinetically trapped during curing, yielding properties unattainable in homogeneous resins. However, the respective roles of repeat‐unit sequence and solvent environment, together with their interplay in directing network formation and mechanical performance, remain unclear. Here, we synthesize a series of CO 2 ‐based polycarbonate copolymers comprising a crosslinkable glassy poly(vinyl cyclohexene carbonate) (PVCHC, A block) and a non‐crosslinkable soft poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC, B block). The polymer sequence is systematically varied (ABA, BAB, and statistical), and solvent choice controls block‐selective swelling to jointly control gelation behavior, microphase morphology, and mechanical response through changes in the accessibility and local environment of photocrosslinkable vinyl groups during network formation, as revealed by photorheology and small angle x‐ray scattering. By tuning polymer sequence and curing solvent, we transform nominally identical formulations from brittle to highly ductile materials, achieving a three‐orders‐of‐magnitude range in toughness (0.003 to 9.1 MJ m −3 ). These results establish clear structure–processing–property relationships and identify polymer sequence and selective solvation as powerful strategies for programming both printability and performance of block copolymer resins for additive manufacturing.