Segment Density and Coil Dimensions of Polymer Chains Anchored to Solid Surfaces

与固体表面直接接触的聚合物形成中间相，其中链段呈不同于本体的形状和链段密度分布。这些界面诱导效应及其程度和位置取决于固体表面附近链的数量、结构、刚性和摩尔质量等参数。其目的是通过对表面锚定的高分子链的链段构象的现场分辨分析，加深对这种界面相及其对材料性能的影响的深刻认识：合成了不同摩尔质量、组成和结构(线性、支化、非晶态、半结晶)的明确定义的聚合物，这些聚合物仅在特定的链段中氢化(“H/D嵌段共聚物”)。这些链将固定在平面和弯曲的固体基质上，从而覆盖所有可获得的嫁接密度范围。当(I)与空气接触，(Ii)彼此直接接触，(Iii)与自由聚合物链接触或(Iv)与溶剂接触，以及(V)在应变和变形下，使用中子和X射线小角散射和X射线反射技术分析得到的聚合物层。所获得的见解可作为模拟工作、核磁共振和原子力显微镜研究的输入，并将大大加深对聚合物(纳米)复合材料性能的理解。

Polymers being in direct contact with solid surfaces form interphases in which the chain segments assume shapes and segment density profiles different from those in the bulk. These interface-induced effects, their extent and location depend on parameters such as number, architecture, rigidity, and molar mass of the chains next to the solid surface. It is the aim to develop profound knowledge about this interphase, and of its consequences for the material properties, via site-resolved analysis of the segment conformation of surface-anchored polymer chains: well-defined polymers of different molar mass, constitution and architecture (linear, branched, amorphous, semi-crystalline) are synthesized, which are deuterated in specific chain segments only (“H/D block copolymers”). These chains will be immobilized on planar and bent solid substrates, thereby covering the full accessible range of grafting densities. The resulting polymer layers are analyzed when (i) in contact with air, (ii) in direct contact with each other, (iii) in contact with free polymer chains or (iv) with solvents, and (v) under strain and deformation, using neutron and X-ray small angle scattering and X-ray reflectomery. The gained insights can be used as input for simulation work, NMR and AFM studies, and will deepen understanding of the properties of polymer (nano)composites considerably.