Mears, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-2664-642X, Zhang, Z.J., Jackson, R.C.D. et al. (4 more authors) (2021) Lateral diffusion of single poly(ethylene oxide) chains on the surfaces of glassy and molten polymer films. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 154 (16). 164902. ISSN 0021-9606
Abstract
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was used to show that the temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) adsorbed on polystyrene and different poly(alkyl methacrylate) (PAMA) films in aqueous solution exhibited a maximum close to (but below) the surface glass transition temperature, Tgs, of the film. This elevated diffusion was observed over a small range of temperatures below Tgs for these surfaces, and at other temperatures, the diffusion was similar to that on silicon, although the diffusion coefficient for PEO on polystyrene at temperatures above Tgs did not completely decrease to that on silicon, in contrast to the PAMA surfaces. It is concluded that the enhanced surface mobility of the films near the surface glass transition temperature induces conformational changes in the adsorbed PEO. The origin of this narrow and dramatic increase in diffusion coefficient is not clear, but it is proposed that it is caused by a coupling of a dominant capillary mode in the liquid surface layer with the polymer. Friction force microscopy experiments also demonstrate an unexpected increase in friction at the same temperature as the increase in diffusion coefficient.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 Published under license by AIP Publishing. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL EP/I012060/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 20 Oct 2021 08:42 |
Last Modified: | 23 Apr 2022 00:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | AIP Publishing |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1063/5.0051351 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:179417 |