Tracer Diffusion of Polystyrene in Poly(styrene-<i>ran</i>-styrenesulfonate)

POSTER

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the tracer diffusion of deuterated polystyrene (dPS) in random copolymers of poly(styrene-ran-styrenesulfonate) (PS-SSx) by forward recoil spectrometry (FRES). The sulfonation level of the random copolymer PS-SSx ranges from 0.2 to 1.0 mol% sulfonation. At x < 0.7 mol%, dPS is fully miscible with PS-SSx and the tracer diffusion is characterized by standard Fickian diffusion. Between 0.7 mol% ≤ x ≤ 1.0 mol%, dPS is partially miscible with PS-SSx, and the tracer diffusion profile is composed of a surface peak and a Fickian diffusion tail. Interestingly, as the sulfonation level increases from 0 to 1.0 mol%, the tracer diffusion coefficient decreases by a factor of three. The decrease in diffusion coefficient with increasing sulfonation level is attributed to an increase of monomeric friction coefficients. This is further supported by rheological experiments, which reflect a slowing down of chain dynamics with increasing degree of sulfonation.

Presenters

  • Shawn Maguire

    • Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • University of Pennsylvania

Authors

  • Shawn Maguire

    • Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • University of Pennsylvania

  • Chen Xu

    • Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

  • Wesley Roth Burghardt

    • Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
    • McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University

  • Nancy C. Zhou

    • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

  • Karen Winey

    • University of Pennsylvania
    • Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania

  • Russell John Composto

    • Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • University of Pennsylvania
    • Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
    • Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania