Three-dimensional morphological analysis of polymer blends through combined ToF-SIMS/AFM

ORAL

Abstract

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) enables three-dimensional compositional analysis using a focused ion beam along with an argon cluster beam for depth profiling. Combined with atomic force microscopy (AFM), topographical and compositional information can be acquired simultaneously. We apply ToF-SIMS to study the phase behavior of blends of bottlebrush polymers with linear polymers and generate a phase diagram for interfacial segregation. We quantify the composition of bottlebrush throughout the film by calibration of ion intensity ratios, and self-consistent field theory calculations elucidate the enthalpic and entropic contributions to segregation. We further analyze the three-dimensional morphology of phase-separation in thin film polymer blends using combined ToF-SIMS/AFM. ToF-SIMS/AFM is a powerful technique that enables analysis of unlabeled polymer blends, composites, and self-assembling systems.

*The authors thank the National Science Foundation for financial support under CMMI-174045 and CMMI-1563008 and CBET-1626418 for the TOF-SIMS/AFM at Rice. Portions of the were conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is a US Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility.

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Presenters

  • Rafael Verduzco

    • Rice University
    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

Authors

  • Hao Mei

    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University

  • Adeline Mah

    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee

  • Travis Laws

    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee

  • Wei Li

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

  • Tanguy Terlier

    • Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University

  • Rajeev Kumar

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Gila E Stein

    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville
    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee

  • Rafael Verduzco

    • Rice University
    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University