Surface Dynamics of Molten Homopolymer Brushes

POSTER

Abstract

The surface dynamics of densely grafted polystyrene and poly($n$-butyl acrylate) homopolymer brushes of various thicknesses, synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization were investigated by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy for the first time. Brushes of thicknesses of 9, 26, 38, and 47 nm were considered. Within the range of time (0.2 -1100 s) and length scale (0.2-5 um) studied, no fluctuations of the brush surfaces were detectable for any thickness brush, presumably due to tethering of polymer chains to the substrate. Even 130 \r{ }C above the bulk glass transition temperature, no relaxation process was observed. The suppression of long-wavelength surface fluctuations on a molten homopolymer brush is consistent with the predictions of Fredrickson and co-workers.

Authors

  • Gokce Ugur

    Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325

  • Bulent Akgun

    Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325

  • William J. Brittain

    Univ. of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3909

  • Mark Foster

    University of Akron, Dept. of Polymer Science, Maurice Morton Institute of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-3909, Dept of Polymer Science, The University of Akron

  • Suresh Narayanan

    Advanced Photon Source, Argonne, IL 60439, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Lab, Argonne, IL 60439, Argonne National Laboratory, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Lab, X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, Argonne National Lab

  • Heeju Lee

    Dept. of Physics, Sogang University, Korea

  • Sanghoon Song

    Dept. of Physics \& Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, Korea, Department of Physics \& Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, Korea

  • Hyunjung Kim

    Dept. of Physics, Sogang Univ., Seoul 121-742, Korea, Physics \& Interdisciplinary program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang U., Korea, Department of Physics \& Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, Korea, Department of Physics, Sogang University, Seoul 121-742, Korea

  • Zhang Jiang

    University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, Sogang University

  • Sunil Sinha

    University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA-92093, USA., Dept. of Physics, Univ. of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, University of California, San Diego, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, University of California, San Diego and Los Alamos National Laboratory