Research Initiation Award: Theoretical and Experimental Studies of the Surface Segregation of Polymer Chains Due to Specific Energetic Interactions

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The surface segregation of one species from a binary polymer blend has important consequences in determining the strength of polymer- substrate composites. In this it is proposed to study the surface behavior of a binary blend, in which all segments of one chain interact identically with the surface, while the end moieties of the second species, which has the same repeat units as the first chain, have energetic interactions with the surface that are different from the central beads. Preliminary analytical calculations on this subject suggest that the difference in energetic interactions between chain ends and middle beads of the second species with the surface will dictate which component will partition to it. It follows that one can maximize the surface segregation of an appropriate species from the blend by controlling the chemistry of the end moieties, thus allowing for the design of polymer composite with desired mechanical properties. Experimentally, these theoretical predictions will be verified by a new technique, neutron reflectivity. From a theoretical viewpoint, analytical lattice models are being developed to examine these situations.