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