  Triblock terpolymers exhibit a rich self-organization behavior including the
formation of fascinating cylindrical core-shell structures with a phase
separated corona. After crystallization-induced self-assembly of
polystryrene-(block)-polyethylene-(block)-poly(methyl methacrylate) triblock
terpolymers (abbreviated as SEMs = Styrene-Ethylene-Methacrylates) from
solution, worm-like core-shell micelles with a patchy corona of polystryrene
and poly(methyl methacrylate) were observed by transmission electron
microscopy. However, the solution structure is still a matter of debate. Here,
we present a method to distinguish in-situ between a Janus-type (two faced) and
a patchy (multiple compartments) configuration of the corona. To discriminate
between both models the scattering intensity must be determined mainly by one
corona compartment. Contrast variation in small-angle neutron scattering
enables us to focus on one compartment of the SEMs. The results validate the
existence of the patchy structure also in solution.

Soft Condensed Matter