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In the course of miniaturizing modern technology down to the molecular scale, much remain unknown about the materials behavior and the deviations from the bulk that might arises from confinement effects. Here, a combination of nano-sized relaxation spectroscopies (Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and Specific heat spectroscopy (SHS); employing AC nanochip calorimetry) were utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films of Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) and of blends PVME / Polystyrene (PS) 50:50 wt-%,, which are miscible in bulk (thicknesses: ca. 8 nm – 160 nm, film thickness was controlled by ellipsometry, film topography by AFM). Both methods are sensitive to different probes; where SHS senses entropy fluctuations while BDS measures dipole fluctuations. For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured electrode sample arrangement is employed, where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer, sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers with heights between 35 nm and 70 nm. For PVME films, two thickness independent processes were observed and interpreted to be the α-processes of a bulk-like layer and a process due to an absorbed layer to the substrate. This adsorbed layer further undergoes a confinement effect that results in the localization of the segmental dynamics, which results in an Arrhenius-like temperature dependence. A detailed analysis of the dielectric strengths of both processes reveals that the thickness of the adsorbed layer decreases with increasing temperature, while that of the bulk-like layer increases. For the blend system, by measuring the dynamic Tg in dependence of the film thickness, SHS showed that the Tg of the whole film was strongly influenced by a nanometer-thick surface layer at the polymer/air interface due to a self-assembling process. The dynamic Tg obtained from the SHS measurements decreased with decreasing film thickness. On the other hand, BDS measurements showed a completely different behavior. At high temperatures, the temperature dependence of the relaxation times of the films follows that of bulk-like PS/PVME; obeying the VFT-law. With decreasing temperature, the temperature dependence deviates from the VFT to an Arrhenius law; where the apparent activation energy decreases with decreasing film thickness. This is the first example where confinement induced changes were observed by BDS for ultra-thin films. All results were analyzed in detail in a comprehensive discussion.
Multilayer carbon nanomembrances (CNMs) could pave the way for a new ultrathin functional conductive coatings with tunable electrical, optical, and chemical properties. Due to their molecular thickness, they can also be regarded as “interfaces without bulk” separating regions of different gaseous, liquid, or solid components and controlling the materials exchange between them, making them optimal materials for membranes applications. Furthermore, their physical and chemical properties depend strongly on their structure, molecular composition, and the surroundings of either sides, thus allowing for tailored properties. Here, nanolayers of Aromatic p-terphenylthiol (TPT) self-assembled into 2D carbon monolayers (thickness - 1.6 nm) were synthesized and further crosslinked by ion bombardment, forming CNMs. Here, though a recently developed multilayer nanosheets routine, stacks of 5, 10, 15 and 20 TPT sheets where transferred on top of each other forming a multilayered CNMs. However, this transfer routine could introduce some intrinsic defects to the sheets, which would alter the molecular composition and / or structure, thus consequently the CNMs properties. Therefore, it is essential to characterize defects in “pure” TPT nanomembranes, before tailoring the molecular compositions, e.g. adding functional groups. For this reason, broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) was utilized to characterize any defects that could be rasied during preparation. Due the structure of pure TPT membranes, no dipole moment should exsist. However, the presence of other elements, e.g. water or sulphur, would result in a dipole moment that could be probed by BDS.
As a main result, for all different stacked-layer numbers, a clear relaxation process is seen, which moves to higher frequencies with increasing the temperature. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of this process is independent of film thickness and can be well described by a common VFT function, hence a corporative motion. This relaxation process was assigned to intrinisic defects in the membranes, introduced during preparation, which was further confimed by a detailed anaylsis of the dielectric strength. This is the first BDS measurment on TPT CNMs.
Despite the many controversial discussions about the nanometric confinement effect on the properties of ultra-thin films, much remain not understood and/or experimentally unproven. Here, a combination of Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) and Specific Heat Spectroscopy (SHS) employing AC nanochip calorimetry were utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films of a low MW Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) (thicknesses: 7 nm – 160 nm). For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured electrode sample arrangement is employed; where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer, sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers with heights between 35 nm and 70 nm. For films with thicknesses up to 50 nm, BDS measurements showed two relaxation processes, which can be analyzed for these film thicknesses in details. The process located at higher frequencies coincidence in both, its position and temperature dependence, with the -relaxation of bulk PVME and is therefore assigned to the -relaxation of a bulk-like layer. The temperature dependence of the relaxation rate of this process in independent of film thickness. This is further confirmed by the SHS investigations, which superimpose in its temperature dependence with the BDS results; independent of film thickness. The second process is located at lower frequencies, where it shows a different temperature dependence and ascribed to the relaxation of polymer segments adsorbed at the substrate. The interaction of PVME with SiO2 was further confirmed by contact angle investigations. This adsorbed layer further undergoes a confinement effect that results in a lower Vogel temperature than that of the bulk-like layer. A detailed analysis of the dielectric strengths of both processes reveals that the thickness of the adsorbed layer decreases with increasing temperature, while that of the bulk-like layer increases. As a main conclusion, BDS showed that the glassy dynamics of the bulk-like and the adsorbed layer are thickness independent, which is in agreement with the SHS results. To our knowledge, this is the first probing of the segmental dynamics of an adsorbed layer in ultrathin films.
In the course of miniaturizing modern technology down to the molecular scale, much remain unknown about the materials behavior and the deviations from the bulk that might arises from confinement effects. Here, a combination of nano-sized relaxation spectroscopies (Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and Specific heat spectroscopy (SHS); employing AC nanochip calorimetry) were utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films of Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) and of blends PVME / Polystyrene (PS) 50:50 wt-%,, which are miscible in bulk (thicknesses: ca. 8 nm – 160 nm, film thickness was controlled by ellipsometry, film topography by AFM). Both methods are sensitive to different probes; where SHS senses entropy fluctuations while BDS measures dipole fluctuations. For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured electrode sample arrangement is employed, where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer, sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers with heights between 35 nm and 70 nm. For PVME films, two thickness independent processes were observed and interpreted to be the α-processes of a bulk-like layer and a process due to an absorbed layer to the substrate. This adsorbed layer further undergoes a confinement effect that results in the localization of the segmental dynamics, which results in an Arrhenius-like temperature dependence. A detailed analysis of the dielectric strengths of both processes reveals that the thickness of the adsorbed layer decreases with increasing temperature, while that of the bulk-like layer increases. For the blend system, by measuring the dynamic Tg in dependence of the film thickness, SHS showed that the Tg of the whole film was strongly influenced by a nanometer-thick surface layer at the polymer/air interface due to a self-assembling process. The dynamic Tg obtained from the SHS measurements decreased with decreasing film thickness. On the other hand, BDS measurements showed a completely different behavior. At high temperatures, the temperature dependence of the relaxation times of the films follows that of bulk-like PS/PVME; obeying the VFT-law. With decreasing temperature, the temperature dependence deviates from the VFT to an Arrhenius law; where the apparent activation energy decreases with decreasing film thickness. This is the first example where confinement induced changes were observed by BDS for ultra-thin films. All results were analyzed in detail in a comprehensive discussion.
Advances in functional coatings, batteries, innovative organic electronics, and hybrid materials depend strongly on polymeric materials confined in thin films or adsorbed at surfaces. Subsequently, understanding the materials behavior under confinement and the deviations, from the bulk, that might arise is necessary for optimized technological applications. In the nanometer vicinity, solid interfaces and free surfaces could alter for instance entanglements, glassy dynamics (α-relaxation), and the thermal glass transition temperature (Tg), compared to the bulk behavior. Consequently, this could change macroscopic quantities of thin films like adhesion, wettability, friction, reactivity, and biocompatibility, which are topical problems for hybrid materials. In fact, despite the intense investigations on thin homopolymers films, little is known about polymer blend thin films and how blending affect glass dynamics and glass transition, under confinement.
This work discusses the glassy dynamics of thin films of Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) with special focus to the dynamics near the interfaces. Further, PVME is then blended with the well-studied polystyrene (PS) in two concentrations; 50:50 and 25:75 wt-%, which are miscible in bulk. The glass dynamics of thin films of both blend concentration are then investigated. Here, a combination of nanosized relaxation spectroscopies; broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and specific heat spectroscopy (SHS); employing AC nanochip calorimetry, was utilized to probe the glassy dynamics of the thin films, thickness: 7nm – 200 nm. It should be noted that both methods are sensitive to different probes; where SHS senses entropy fluctuations while BDS measures dipole fluctuations. For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured electrode sample arrangement was employed; where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer, sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers with heights between 35 nm and 70 nm. Furthermore, these measurements are then combined with surface analytical techniques; ellipsometry and AFM, for controlled film thickness and topography.
Probing of PVME thin films revealed the existence of an adsorbed layer with a restricted mobility at the polymer/substrate interface, which is independent from the bulk-like behavior and thickness independent. As for PVME/PS thin films, it was shown that the overall segmental dynamics of both blends are strongly affected by a fine counter-balance between a free surface layer at the polymer/air interface, which is PVME-rich layer, and an adsorbed layer at the polymer/substrate interface, which is PS-rich. This is the first example where confinement induced changes were observed by BDS for ultra-thin films. All results were analyzed in details and will be comprehensively discussed.
In thin polymer films, little is known about the dynamics of the adsorbed layers, despite their importance in innovative applications. Here, Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) was utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of thin films of a low MW Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) (thicknesses: 7 – 160 nm). A recently developed nano-structured capacitor arrangement was employed; where a silicon wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers, with heights of 35 nm and 70 nm, is placed on top of a thin film spin coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer. Further, PVME/SiO2 interactions was confirmed by contact angle measurements, hence an adsorbed layer is allowed to form. For films with thicknesses smaller than 50 nm, BDS measurements showed two relaxation processes. The first process coincided, in its position and temperature dependence, with the -relaxation of bulk PVME, thus it was assigned to the -relaxation of a bulk-like layer. The second process showed a different temperature dependence and was ascribed to the relaxation of polymer segments adsorbed at the substrate. Both processes showed no thickness dependence. The results will be discussed in detail. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the segmental dynamics of an adsorbed layer in thin films.
For many years now, the so-called three layer model (free-surface, bulk-like, and adsorbed layers) has been commonly used, along with other parameters, to explain the deviations seen in glass transition and glassy dynamics for polymers confined into thin films, compared to their bulk value. Nevertheless, due to the hard accessibility of the adsorbed layers in supported films, little is known about the nature of their dynamics and how they really influences the overall dynamics of the thin films. Here, the irreversibly self-assembled adsorbed layer of a low MW Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) is solvent-leached from a 200 nm film. The thickness and topography of this layer is checked with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), to insure no dewetting and low roughness. Further, the dynamics of the adsorbed layer is then in-situ probed with Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS). A recently developed nano-structured capacitor arrangement was employed; where a silicon wafer with nanostructured SiO2 nano-spacers, with heights of 35 nm, is placed on top of a thin film spin coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer. All results will be discussed in detail and quantitatively compared to our recent work on the glassy dynamics of PVME thin films (50 nm- 7nm), where BDS measurements showed two thickness-independent relaxation processes. The first process was assigned to the -relaxation of a bulk-like layer. Whereas the second process showed a different temperature dependence and was ascribed to the relaxation of polymer segments adsorbed at the substrate. To our knowledge, this is the first in-situ study of the dynamics of an irreversibly adsorbed layer.
Despite the many controversial discussions about the nanometric confinement effect and the predictions of the three-layer model, much remain not understood and/or experimentally unproven. Here, a combination of Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS), Specific Heat Spectroscopy (SHS), and ellipsometry was utilized to investigate the glassy dynamics of ultra-thin films of Poly (vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) and PVME/Polystyrene (PS) 50:50 wt-% miscible blend (thicknesses: 8nm - 200nm). For BDS measurements, a recently developed nano-structured sample arrangement; where ultra-thin films are spin-coated on an ultra-flat highly conductive silicon wafer and sandwiched between a wafer with nanostructured silica nano-spacers, was used. For PVME films, two processes were observed and interpreted to be the α-processes of a bulk-like layer and an absorbed layer to the substrate. BDS and SHS showed that glassy dynamics are bulk-like. However, for films lower than 15nm, BDS showed weakly slowed dynamics. For PVME/PS blend, by a self-assembling process, a nanometer-thin surface layer with a higher molecular mobility is formed at the polymer/air interface. By measuring the dynamic Tg in dependence on the film thickness, both BDS and SHS, showed that the Tg of the whole film was strongly influenced by that nanometer thick surface layer, with a lower Tg.
Thin polymeric films are of great importance of high number of high-tech applications for instance in sensors and nanoelectronics. Form the scientific point of view thin films with thickness below 100 nm are ideal model systems to study confinement effects on its properties for instance on the molecular relaxation processes. In this contribution an overview is presented about the behavior of different systems as investigated by nanosized relaxation spectroscopy like broadband dielectric spectroscopy employing nano structured capacitors and AC chip calorimetry complimented by ellipsometry. The systems considered are PVME1, PVME/PS blends2,3 P2VP4, PBAC5 and polysulfone6. Besides the film also the adsorbed layer on the substrate prepared by a leaching approach and investigated by AFM is considered.1,4-7. For these investigationsss it is found that the adsorbed layer itself exhibits a relaxation dynamics which might be assigned either to molecular motions or to adsorptions desorption kinetics.
The glass transition behavior of ultra-thin supported polymer films is discussed controversially in the literature for around 20 years. Substantial efforts have been archived to understand it. In this contribution, a combination of methods sensitive to bulk properties of a system, like dielectric or specific heat spectroscopy with surface analytics, for instance, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to study the glass transition of ultra-thin supported films. All investigations were carried out on identically prepared and treated samples. Different systems with different complexities going from more or less flexible homopolymers over rigid main chain macromolecules to polymer blends have been studied. For the investigated flexible macromolecules, the dynamic glass transition temperature estimated within the frame of the linear response approach is independent of the film thickness down to several nanometers and identical to the bulk value. For polystyrene it was found the thermal glass transition temperatures can depend on the film thickness. This different behavior is not well understood till now and needs further experimental clarification. For the investigated main chain polymers polycarbonate and polysulfone. Dynamic and thermal glass transition temperature estimated from the dielectric measurements increases with decreasing film thickness. This is discussed in the frame of a strong interaction of the polymer segments with the surface of the substrate. In general for homopolymers, the interaction energy of the polymer segments with the substrate surface cannot be considered as the only parameter, which is responsible for the change in the thermal glass transition with the film thickness. For the investigated miscible blend system of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) at a composition of 50/50 wt-% a decrease of the dynamic glass transition temperature with decreasing film thickness is found. This is explained by the formation of a poly(vinyl methyl ether)-rich surface layer with a higher molecular mobility.