Conformation-triggered flow instability in monolayer thick polymer films

Here we have report on a new type of flow instability triggered by conformational changes of brush-like macromolecules as they spread on a solid substrate. By tracing the movement of individual molecules by atomic force microscopy, we were able to follow the evolution of the instability pattern on the molecular level enabling a microscopic understanding of the underlying physical mechanism. The instability is an analog of the Saffman-Taylor instability in thin films. However, the instability is driven by a variation in flow velocity controlled by molecular conformation instead of a viscosity gradient.