Environmental and Variable-Temperature Studies of Polymers with High-Speed AFM

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) as the well-established technique for characterization of polymers is further advanced with high-speed scanning. Quick Scan in Keysight microscopes is realized with a fast response nose-cone, which is embedded into a regular scanner, and the use of high-frequency probes. This mode enables the scanning rates up to 100 Hz on areas from 100 nm to 100 μm. Quick scan operation can be carried out in different organic vapors and at temperatures from +250C to -30C. The variable temperature AFM studies can be performed at 5-10C/min heating/cooling rates and images can be collected at every temperature degree. Monitoring of structural changes, which accompany swelling, hydration, crystallization, melting, will be illustrated by studies of single brush macromolecules, liquid crystalline oligomers, polyethylene and polymer blends. A motion and conformational changes of brush macromolecules were observed during their aggregation and spreading in different vapors. The dynamic nanoscale changes were recorded during crystallization of low-density ethylene/octene copolymers. High-quality images at small and large scales, which can be routinely obtained in a fraction of minute, provide unseen efficiency of AFM analysis.