1
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Liu JX, Xia Y, Wang Y, Haataja MP, Arnold CB, Priestley RD. Anisotropic material depletion in epitaxial polymer crystallization. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7691-7695. [PMID: 37811707 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00758h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The physical properties of a semicrystalline polymer thin film are intimately related to the morphology of its crystalline domains. While the mechanisms underlying crystallization of flat-on oriented polymer crystals are well known, similar mechanisms remain elusive for edge-on oriented thin films due to the propensity of substantially thin films to adopt flat-on orientations. Here, we employ an epitaxial polymer-substrate relationship to enforce edge-on crystallization in thin films. Using matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), we deposit films in which crystal nucleation is spatially separated from subsequent epitaxial crystallization. These experiments, together with phase-field simulations, demonstrate a highly anisotropic and localized material depletion during edge-on crystallization. These results provide deeper insight into the physics of polymer crystallization under confinement and introduce a processing motif in the crystallization of ultrathin structured films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason X Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Yang Xia
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yucheng Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Mikko P Haataja
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Craig B Arnold
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Rodney D Priestley
- Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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2
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Jiang Z, Cheng B, Yang J, Zhao J. Free Space Makes the Polymer "Dead Layer" Alive. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:10750-10757. [PMID: 36479883 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The effect of free space on molecular motion inside the polymer "dead layer" or adsorbed nanolayers on solid surfaces is investigated. Free space is introduced into the nanolayer by choosing a polymer with a relatively big side group, poly n-butyl methacrylate (PnBMA), and polarization-resolved single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is adopted as the method. The rotational motion of the doped fluorescent probes is found to be considerably excited at moderate temperatures, attributed to the free space brought by the side group of the PnBMA. The development of the adsorbed nanolayer by the prolonged annealing of the parent film is carefully monitored, together with the evolution of the molecular motion and the glass transition temperature (Tg). The Tg values of the exposed nanolayers are considerably lower than that of the bulk system, while they become higher than those in the bulk situation when the nanolayer is covered with a polymer top layer. The experimental evidence has demonstrated that the free space made available by the side group and the air-polymer interface has considerably promoted the molecular motion inside the adsorbed nanolayers, even under the situation of overwhelming surface attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Jiang
- Beijing National Research Center for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bin Cheng
- Beijing National Research Center for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingfa Yang
- Beijing National Research Center for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiang Zhao
- Beijing National Research Center for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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3
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Monnier X, Napolitano S, Cangialosi D. Direct observation of desorption of a melt of long polymer chains. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4354. [PMID: 32859950 PMCID: PMC7455717 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18216-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuning the thermodynamic state of a material has a tremendous impact on its performance. In the case of polymers placed in proximity of a solid wall, this is possible by annealing above the glass transition temperature, Tg, which induces the formation of an adsorbed layer. Whether heating to higher temperatures would result in desorption, thereby reverting the thermodynamic state of the interface, has so far remained elusive, due to the interference of degradation. Here, we employ fast scanning calorimetry, allowing to investigate the thermodynamics of the interface while heating at 104 K s-1. We show that applying such rate to adsorbed polymer layers permits avoiding degradation and, therefore, we provide clear-cut evidence of desorption of a polymer melt. We found that the enthalpy and temperature of desorption are independent of the annealing temperature, which, in analogy to crystallization/melting, indicates that adsorption/desorption is a first order thermodynamic transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Monnier
- Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP223, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Daniele Cangialosi
- Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain.
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018, San Sebastián, Spain.
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4
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Thees MF, McGuire JA, Roth CB. Review and reproducibility of forming adsorbed layers from solvent washing of melt annealed films. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5366-5387. [PMID: 32365149 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00565g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest chain adsorption in the melt may be responsible for a number of property changes in thin films by making correlations between the residual adsorbed layer thickness hads(t) measured after a given solvent washing procedure as a function of annealing time t of the film at an elevated temperature prior to this solvent rinse. This procedure, frequently called "Guiselin's experiment", refers to the thought experiment proposed in a 1992 theoretical treatment by Guiselin that assumed chain segments in contact with the surface are irreversibly adsorbed whereby unadsorbed chains could be washed away by solvent without disturbing the adsorbed substrate contact points in the melt. In the present work, we review this recent literature, identifying and experimentally testing a common protocol for forming adsorbed layers hads(t) from solvent washing melt films. We find hads(t) curves to be far less reproducible and reliable than implied in the literature, strongly dependent on solvent washing and substrate cleaning conditions, and annealing at elevated temperatures is unnecessary as densification of films sitting at room temperature makes the glassy film harder to wash off, leaving behind hads of comparable thickness. This review also summarizes literature understanding developed over several decades of study on polymer adsorption in solution, which experimentally demonstrated that polymer chains in solution are highly mobile, diffusing and exchanging on the surface even in the limit of strong adsorption, contradicting Guiselin's assumption. Preformed adsorbed layers of different thicknesses hads are shown to not affect the average glass transition temperature or physical aging of 30 nm thick films. In summary, a number of open questions and implications are discussed related to thin films and polymer nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Thees
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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5
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Napolitano S. Irreversible adsorption of polymer melts and nanoconfinement effects. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5348-5365. [PMID: 32419002 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00361a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
For almost a decade, growing experimental evidence has revealed a strong correlation between the properties of nanoconfined polymers and the number of chains irreversibly adsorbed onto nonrepulsive interfaces, e.g. the supporting substrate of thin polymer coatings, or nanofillers dispersed in polymer melts. Based on such a correlation, it has already been possible to tailor structural and dynamics properties - such as the glass transition temperature, the crystallization rate, the thermal expansion coefficients, the viscosity and the wettability - of nanomaterials by controlling the adsorption kinetics. This evidence indicates that irreversible adsorption affects nanoconfinement effects. More recently, also the opposite phenomenon was experimentally observed: nanoconfinement alters interfacial interactions and, consequently, also the number of chains adsorbed in equilibrium conditions. In this review we discuss this intriguing interplay between irreversible adsorption and nanoconfinement effects in ultrathin polymer films. After introducing the methods currently used to prepare adsorbed layers and to measure the number of irreversibly adsorbed chains, we analyze the models employed to describe the kinetics of adsorption in polymer melts. We then discuss the structure of adsorbed polymer layers, focusing on the complex macromolecular architecture of interfacial chains and on their thermal expansion; we examine the way in which the structure of the adsorbed layer affects the thermal glass transition temperature, vitrification, and crystallization. By analyzing segmental dynamics of 1D confined systems, we describe experiments to track the changes in density during adsorption. We conclude this review with an analysis of the impact of nanoconfinement on adsorption, and a perspective on future work where we also address the key ideas of irreversibility, equilibration and long-range interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium.
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6
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Vanroy B, Wübbenhorst M, Napolitano S. Remotely Controlling the Crystallization of Thin Polymer Coatings. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanroy
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Michael Wübbenhorst
- Laboratory for Soft Matter and Biophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Brussels 1050, Belgium
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7
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Rodríguez-Tinoco C, Simavilla DN, Priestley RD, Wübbenhorst M, Napolitano S. Density of Obstacles Affects Diffusion in Adsorbed Polymer Layers. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:318-322. [PMID: 35648537 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The translational diffusion of molecules dispersed into polymer matrices slows down tremendously when approaching a nonrepulsive interface. To unravel the origin of this phenomenon, we investigated the diffusion of molecular probes in the direction normal to an adsorbing wall. Using adsorbed polymer layers as matrices, we were able to decouple interfacial and finite size effects and determined the relation between the diffusion time and the area available at the polymer/solid interface. Based on the results of our investigation, we present a physical picture, suggesting that the reduction in diffusion rate is correlated to the degree of chain adsorption onto the substrate, that is, the density of surface obstacles encountered by tracer molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Rodríguez-Tinoco
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - David Nieto Simavilla
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Michael Wübbenhorst
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Soft Matter and Biophysics Section, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST), Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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8
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Kim DH, Kim SY. Self-Assembled Copolymer Adsorption Layer-Induced Block Copolymer Nanostructures in Thin Films. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:1562-1571. [PMID: 31572783 PMCID: PMC6764160 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b00560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In polymer thin films, the bottom polymer chains are irreversibly adsorbed onto the substrates creating an ultrathin layer. Although this thin layer (only a few nanometers thick) governs all film properties, an understanding of this adsorbed layer remains elusive, and thus, its effective control has yet to be achieved, particularly in block copolymer (BCP) thin films. Herein, we employ self-assembled copolymer adsorption layers (SCALs), transferred from the air/water interfacial self-assembly of BCPs, as an effective control of the adsorbed layer in BCP thin films. SCALs replace the natural adsorbed layer, irreversibly adsorbing onto the substrates when other BCP is additionally coated on the SCALs. We further show that SCALs guide the thin film nanostructures because they provide topological restrictions and enthalpic/entropic preferences for a BCP self-assembly. The SCAL-induced self-assembly enables unprecedented control of nanostructures, creating novel nanopatterns such as spacing-controlled hole/dot patterns, dotted-line patterns, dash-line patterns, and anisotropic cluster patterns with exceptional controllability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hyup Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
(UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - So Youn Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
(UNIST), 50 UNIST-gil, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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9
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Wang Y, Gu K, Monnier X, Jeong H, Chowdhury M, Cangialosi D, Loo YL, Priestley RD. Tunable Properties of MAPLE-Deposited Thin Films in the Presence of Suppressed Segmental Dynamics. ACS Macro Lett 2019; 8:1115-1121. [PMID: 35619457 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Processing polymer thin films by physical vapor deposition has been a major challenge due to material degradation. This challenge has limited our understanding of morphological control by top-down approaches that can be crucial for many applications. Recently, matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) has emerged as an alternative route to fabricate polymer thin films from near-gas phase growth conditions. In this Letter, we investigate how this approach can result in a stable two-phase film structure of semicrystalline polymers via a unique combination of MAPLE and flash calorimetry. In the case of MAPLE-deposited poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) thin films, we find a 35 °C enhancement in the glass transition temperature relative to melt-crystallized films, which is associated with irreversible chain adsorption in the amorphous region of the film. Remarkably, by varying substrate temperature during deposition, we reveal the ability to significantly tune the crystal orientation, extent of crystallinity, and lamellar thickness of MAPLE-deposited PEO thin films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Kaichen Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Xavier Monnier
- Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Hyuncheol Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Mithun Chowdhury
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Daniele Cangialosi
- Donostia International Physics Center, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Yueh-Lin Loo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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10
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Zuo B, Wang F, Hao Z, He H, Zhang S, Priestley RD, Wang X. Influence of the Interfacial Effect on Polymer Thin-Film Dynamics Scaled by the Distance of Chain Mobility Suppression by the Substrate. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zuo
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Fengliang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zhiwei Hao
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Haolin He
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shasha Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Xinping Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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11
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Wang Y, Jeong H, Chowdhury M, Arnold CB, Priestley RD. Exploiting physical vapor deposition for morphological control in semi‐crystalline polymer films. POLYMER CRYSTALLIZATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pcr2.10021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
| | - Hyuncheol Jeong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
| | - Mithun Chowdhury
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
| | - Craig B. Arnold
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
- Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
- Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
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12
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Nieto Simavilla D, Huang W, Housmans C, Sferrazza M, Napolitano S. Taming the Strength of Interfacial Interactions via Nanoconfinement. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2018; 4:755-759. [PMID: 29974071 PMCID: PMC6026784 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between two immiscible materials is related to the number of contacts per unit area formed by the two materials. For practical reasons, this information is often parametrized by the interfacial free energy, which is commonly derived via rather cumbersome approaches, where properties of the interface are described by combining surface parameters of the single materials. These combining rules, however, neglect any effect that geometry might have on the strength of the interfacial interaction. In this Article, we demonstrate that the number of contacts at the interface between a thin polymer coating and its supporting substrate is altered upon confinement at the nanoscale level. We show that explicitly considering the effect of nanoconfinement on the interfacial potential allows a quantitative prediction of how sample geometry affects the number of contacts formed at the interface between two materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nieto Simavilla
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP223, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Weide Huang
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP223, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
- Department
of Physics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Caroline Housmans
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP223, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Michele Sferrazza
- Department
of Physics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CP223, Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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13
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Qiu X, Zhang Y, Wu H, Yang R, Yang J, Liu R, Liu Y, Zhou Z, Hao T, Nie Y. Blocked crystallization in capped ultrathin polymer films studied by molecular simulations. POLYM INT 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.5549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Qiu
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Yongqiang Zhang
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Haitao Wu
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Rui Yang
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Jun Yang
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Rongjuan Liu
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Yong Liu
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Zhiping Zhou
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Tongfan Hao
- Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Technology; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
| | - Yijing Nie
- Institute of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang China
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14
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Chanson R, Zhang L, Naumov S, Mankelevich YA, Tillocher T, Lefaucheux P, Dussart R, Gendt SD, Marneffe JFD. Damage-free plasma etching of porous organo-silicate low-k using micro-capillary condensation above -50 °C. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1886. [PMID: 29382890 PMCID: PMC5789876 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The micro-capillary condensation of a new high boiling point organic reagent (HBPO), is studied in a periodic mesoporous oxide (PMO) with ∼34 % porosity and k-value ∼2.3. At a partial pressure of 3 mT, the onset of micro-capillary condensation occurs around +20 °C and the low-k matrix is filled at -20 °C. The condensed phase shows high stability from -50 < T ≤-35 °C, and persists in the pores when the low-k is exposed to a SF6-based plasma discharge. The etching properties of a SF6-based 150W-biased plasma discharge, using as additive this new HBPO gas, shows that negligible damage can be achieved at -50 °C, with acceptable etch rates. The evolution of the damage depth as a function of time was studied without bias and indicates that Si-CH3 loss occurs principally through Si-C dissociation by VUV photons.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Chanson
- IMEC v.z.w., 75 Kapeldreef, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - L Zhang
- IMEC v.z.w., 75 Kapeldreef, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Naumov
- Leibniz-Institut fur Oberflachenmodifizierun, 15 Permoserstrasse, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yu A Mankelevich
- Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University, SINP MSU, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - T Tillocher
- GREMI, University of Orleans and CNRS, 45067, Orleans, France
| | - P Lefaucheux
- GREMI, University of Orleans and CNRS, 45067, Orleans, France
| | - R Dussart
- GREMI, University of Orleans and CNRS, 45067, Orleans, France
| | - S De Gendt
- KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
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15
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Jeong H, Chowdhury M, Wang Y, Sezen-Edmonds M, Loo YL, Register RA, Arnold CB, Priestley RD. Tuning Morphology and Melting Temperature in Polyethylene Films by MAPLE. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hyuncheol Jeong
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Mithun Chowdhury
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Yucheng Wang
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Melda Sezen-Edmonds
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Yueh-Lin Loo
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Richard A. Register
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Craig B. Arnold
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ‡Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, §Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, and ∥Andlinger Center
for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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16
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Simavilla DN, Huang W, Vandestrick P, Ryckaert JP, Sferrazza M, Napolitano S. Mechanisms of Polymer Adsorption onto Solid Substrates. ACS Macro Lett 2017; 6:975-979. [PMID: 35650878 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Controlling polymer/substrate interfaces without modifying chemistry is nowadays possible by finely tuning the formation of adsorbed layers. The complex processes leading to irreversible attachment of chains onto solid substrates are governed by two mechanisms: molecular rearrangement and potential-driven adsorption. Here we introduce an analytical method to differentiate these two mechanisms. By analyzing experiments and simulations, we investigate how changes in thermal energy and interaction potential affect equilibrium and nonequilibrium components of the adsorption kinetics. We find that the adsorption process is thermally activated, with activation energy comparable to that of local noncooperative processes. On the other hand, the final adsorbed amount depends on the interface interaction only (i.e., it is temperature independent in experiments). We identify a universal linear relation between the growth rates at short and long adsorption times, suggesting that the monomer pinning mechanism is independent of surface coverage, while the progressive limitation of free sites significantly limits the adsorption rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nieto Simavilla
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Weide Huang
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
- Department
of Physics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Philippe Vandestrick
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Ryckaert
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Michele Sferrazza
- Department
of Physics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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17
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Napolitano S, Sferrazza M. How irreversible adsorption affects interfacial properties of polymers. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2017; 247:172-177. [PMID: 28202131 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Growing experimental evidence shows that the behavior of polymer chains confined at the nanoscale level strongly depends on the degree of adsorption correlated to the number density of monomers pinned onto the supporting substrate. In this contribution, after introducing the physics behind the mechanisms of irreversible adsorption, we review recent experimental observations on how adsorption affects properties of polymer melts confined in 1D, focusing on those related to the thermal glass transition, maximum water uptake, viscosity and crystallization. These findings strongly support a new physical framework of confined soft matter, not trivially limited to finite size effects and interfacial interactions, but also enriched by non-equilibrium phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium.
| | - Michele Sferrazza
- Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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18
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Perez-de-Eulate NG, Sferrazza M, Cangialosi D, Napolitano S. Irreversible Adsorption Erases the Free Surface Effect on the Tg of Supported Films of Poly(4- tert-butylstyrene). ACS Macro Lett 2017; 6:354-358. [PMID: 35610865 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
When cooled at constant rate, a 25 nm thin film of poly(4-tert-butylstyrene) vitrifies 50 K lower than in bulk. This record sets the largest depression in thermal glass transition temperature (Tg) ever observed upon confinement at the nanoscale level. Same as for other supported polymer layers, this reduction in Tg has been attributed to the presence of a free surface, the ensemble of molecules at the interface with air remaining in the liquid state also at temperatures well below bulk Tg. Here, we verify that such tremendous shifts can be erased upon prolonged annealing in the liquid state, hinting at a metastable nature of confinement effects. We demonstrate that the recovery of bulk behavior and the manifestation of the free surface are enslaved to the kinetics of irreversible adsorption of chains on the supporting substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia G. Perez-de-Eulate
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizábal
5, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
- Departamento
de Física de Materiales, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Michele Sferrazza
- Département
de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
| | - Daniele Cangialosi
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Paseo Manuel de Lardizábal
5, San Sebastián 20018, Spain
| | - Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory
of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment
NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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