Anomalous Surface Relaxations of Branched-Polymer Melts

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.068303· OSTI ID:1410121

Wang, Shih-fan; Yang, Sewoo; Lee, Jaesik; Akgun, Bulent; Wu, David T.; Foster, Mark D.

The dynamics of thermally stimulated surface fluctuations of 100 nm thick films of long-branched polymers are measured for the first time. In contrast to comparable films of linear or cyclic chains that show no change in viscosity upon confinement, films of 6-pom, 6-star, and 6-end end-branched stars show viscosities, inferred from x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, as much as 100 times higher than in the bulk. This difference varies in magnitude with chain architecture. Branching has a profound effect on confinement, even for these unentangled chains.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
• OSTI ID: 1410121
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 111, Issue 6; ISSN 0031-9007
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE