LB film structure of poly(2-methoxy,5-(8-methoxy-3,6-dioxa-1-undecoxy)-p-phenylene vinylene) studied by spectroscopy

A PPV derivative, poly(2-methoxy,5-(8-methoxy-3,6-dioxa-1-undecoxy)-p-phenylene vinylene), has been synthesized by the Gilch route to study the influence of a long alkyl side chain and a di(ethylene oxide) methyl ether group on the multilayer structure obtained by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. UV-visible, PL, and FTIR spectra are applied to study the conformation and orientation of the MMDU-PPV molecules in multilayer organization. MMDU-PPV is apt to form a transferable monolayer film, in which the plane of its pi system is perpendicular to the air-water interface. The adjacent conjugated main chains of MMDU-PPV in LB films are aligned in parallel fashion and packed with the plane of its pi system approximately perpendicular to the layer plane and not organized to compact pi-stacking structure for introducing di(ethylene oxide) methyl ether (DEOM) side chains to conjugated main chains. The long alkyl side chains are characterized by all trans-zigzag conformation and average tilt angle of 36+/-1.5 degrees. The layer-by-layer multilayer of MMDU-PPV obtained by Langmuir-Blodgett technique exhibits some in-plane anisotropy and more pure photoluminescence than that of the dilute MMDU-PPV solution.     

Surface-catalyzed growth of polymethylene-rich copolymer films on gold

We report the preparation of a new class of copolymer films that consist of polymethylene (PM) with a low percentage ( approximately 1-4%) of randomly distributed ethyl ester side groups, consistent with poly(methylene-co-ethyl acetate). The films are prepared through a surface-catalyzed polymerization on gold surfaces upon exposure to a dilute solution of diazomethane (DM) and ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) in ether at 0 degrees C. While EDA alone does not polymerize at gold surfaces but DM does decompose on gold to grow PM films, the combined presence of EDA and DM results in dramatic enhancements in film growth and promotes an alternative mechanism for propagation as compared with that for the PM homopolymerization. The rate of copolymer film growth is constant over a approximately 24 h period, consistent with a controlled polymerization in which chain terminations are minimized. Carefully controlled experiments indicate that chain propagation does not occur at the outer film-solvent interface, but more likely, at the film-metal interface, suggesting a catalyzed insertion mechanism that extends the chain and pushes the outer chain termini further away from the metal-polymer interface. The results also suggest that adsorbed intermediates of EDA function as co-catalysts to promote the propagation reaction. Of particular importance for materials modification is that the ester side chains of these copolymer films can be hydrolyzed to carboxylate groups that exhibit pH-dependent wettability.     

PNIPAM chain collapse depends on the molecular weight and grafting density

This study demonstrates that the thermally induced collapse of end-grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 degrees C depends on the chain grafting density and molecular weight. The polymer was grafted from the surface of a self-assembled monolayer containing the initiator (BrC(CH3)2COO(CH2)11S)2, using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Varying the reaction time and monomer concentration controlled the molecular weight, and diluting the initiator in the monolayer altered the grafting density. Surface force measurements of the polymer films showed that the chain collapse above the LCST decreases with decreasing grafting density and molecular weight. At T > LCST, the advancing water contact angle increases sharply on PNIPAM films of high molecular weight and grafting density, but the change is less pronounced with films of low-molecular-weight chains at lower densities. Below the LCST, the force-distance profiles exhibit nonideal polymer behavior and suggest that the brush architecture comprises dilute outer chains and much denser chains adjacent to the surface.     

含氟丙烯酸酯聚合物乳胶膜表面性质

采用XPS和界面张力仪分别测定了含氟丙烯酸酯聚合物乳胶膜表面的组成及水在其表面的动态接触角, 并用状态逼近方程模型计算了含氟聚合物乳胶膜的表面张力, 考察了温度对乳胶膜润湿性的影响. 结果表明, 含氟聚合物乳胶膜表层较深处的F 1s信号强度比近表面要弱, 乳胶膜表面张力随表面氟原子浓度增加在一定程度上呈现线性下降；含氟侧链(Rf)较长(碳原子数n＞6)的含氟聚合物, 其表面张力随Rf单元含量增加而下降的趋势显著高于Rf较短(n≤6)的含氟聚合物, 而水在含氟聚合物乳胶膜表面上的后退接触角θr随n增大出现急剧上升, n≥10 时, θr值几乎恒定不再随n增大而改变. 此外, 参与共聚的非氟丙烯酸酯酯基碳链较短时, 水在共聚物乳胶膜表面的θr随氟单元含量增加而增加的趋势更显著；温度超过40 ℃后, 水对聚合物乳胶膜的润湿性随温度上升略有改善.     

An atomic force microscopic investigation of electro-sensitive polymer surface

An electro-sensitive poly(2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) (PAMPS) film was fabricated by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method on silicon substrate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments in contact mode show that friction force and the adhesion force between the AFM tip and the film may change regularly with the alteration of the applied negative bias voltage between them, indicating that the microscopic wettability of the film can be adjusted by external electric field. On the other hand, the AFM experiments in tapping mode reveal that the film may take corresponding phase change under the electric field. These effects were considered to result from the conformational overturn of the sulfonic groups and the adjacent alkyl chains in the electric field.     

Surface Properties of Fluorinated Acrylate Polymer Latex Films

The surface chemical compositions of fluorinated latex films and the dynamic contact angles of water were determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and a Kruss interface tension measurement, respectively. The surface tensions of the films were calculated by the equation of state approach using the dynamic contact angles, and the effect of temperature on the wetting behavior of these films was investigated. It was shown that the F 1s signal intensity from the outermost surface of these fluorinated latex films was stronger than that from the interior surface of the film and that the surface tension showed a linear decrease with the increase of density of fluorine atoms on the latex film surface to a certain extent. The surface tension rapidly decreased with the increase of fluorinated lateral chains (Rf) content in the copolymer with longer Rf (carbon atom number n>6). The water receding contact angles (θr) on the latex films sharply decreased with the increase of n value, then leveled off nearly at n=10, and remained almost unchanged when n>10. In addition, θr increased more remarkably with the increase of F content in the poly (protonated acrylate- co-fluorinated acrylate) with short hydrocarbon side chains. The water wetting ability of the fluorinate latex films became slightly better only when temperature was more than 40°C.     

Molecular layer deposition of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) films using terephthaloyl chloride and p-phenylenediamine

Ultrathin polymer films can be fabricated using the gas-phase method known as molecular layer deposition. This process typically uses bifunctional monomers in a sequential, self-limiting reaction sequence to grow conformal polymer films with molecular layer control. In this study, terephthaloyl chloride (TC) and p-phenylenediamine (PD) were used as the bifunctional monomers to deposit poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) thin films. 3-Aminopropyl trimethoxysilane or ethanolamine was used to prepare amine-terminated surfaces prior to the PPTA MLD. The surface chemistry and growth rate during PPTA MLD at 145 degrees C were studied using in situ transmission Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy experiments on high surface area powders of SiO2 particles. PPTA MLD thin film growth at 145 degrees C was also examined using in situ transmission FTIR experiments on flat KBr substrates with an amine-terminated Al2O3 ALD overlayer. The integrated absorbances of the N-H and amide I stretching vibrations were measured and used to estimate the thin film thickness. X-ray reflectivity (XRR) experiments were also employed to measure the film thickness after PPTA MLD at 145 degrees C and 180 degrees C. The experiments revealed that the TC and PD reactions displayed self-limiting surface chemistry. The surface species alternated with sequential TC and PD exposures and the PPTA MLD films grew continuously. However, the growth rates per MLD cycle at 145 degrees C were less than expectations based on the size of the molecules involved in the reaction chemistry and were variable between 0.5 and 4.0 A per TC/PD reaction cycle. The lower growth rates are explained by the growth of a limited number of polymer chains on the substrate. The variability in the growth rate is attributed to the difficulties with the bifunctional monomer precursors. Alternative surface chemistries for polymer MLD are proposed that would avoid the use of bifunctional monomers.     

Manipulation of Multicomponent Langmuir-Blodgett Films of Electrically Conductive Polymers: Polypyrrole and Poly(3-Hexylthiophene)

Abstract

Multicomponent Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films containing poly-pyrrole, 3-octadecanoyl pyrrole, and poly(3-hexylthiophene) were fabricated via a novel in-situ polymerization process. In this process, pyrrole monomer is polymerized at the air-subphase interface in the presence of poly(3-hexylthiophene) by using a subphase containing 1 wt% FeCl₃. The resultant electrically conductive films could be readily deposited onto solid substrates as Z-type films by the vertical lifting method. By using visible absorption, x-ray diffraction, and FTIR measurements, it was found that all three components were present within the transferred films, with the polypyrrole chains assuming a preferential orientation parallel to the film surface. The conductivities of the mixed LB films were as high as 1.0 S/cm, and the stability of the conductivity was very good. Chemical doping of poly(3-hexylthiophene) within the film with strong oxidizing agents such as I₂ further enhanced the conductivity of the film.     

Atomic force microscopy study of beta-substituted-T7 oligothiophene films on mica: mechanical properties and humidity-dependent phases

The structural and mechanical properties of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer and multilayer films of 3",4"-didecyl-5,2'; 5',2"; 5",2'; 5',2"; 5",2''; 5'',2"-heptathiophene-4'-acetic acid on mica have been studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a function of humidity, temperature, and applied force. The molecules orient with the carboxylic acid group pointing toward the mica surface and expose the alkyl side chains to the air interface. As the load applied by the AFM tip increases, the film is compressed easily from an initial height of 2 to 1.2 nm. After compression the films can support much higher loads without loss of height. The state of aggregation of the molecules was found to be sensitive to the environmental humidity, which induced reversible changes. Annealing the samples with monolayer or multilayer films resulted in irreversible changes when the temperature exceeded approximately 100 degrees C.     

Highly ordered polymer films of amphiphilic, regioregular polythiophene derivatives

The fabrication and characterization of highly ordered thin films made from amphiphilic, regioregular polythiophene derivatives are described. Films of poly(3-(11-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)undecyl)thiophene (PTHPUDT) were prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The amphiphilic nature of the polymer affords layer-by-layer deposition and the formation of multilayer films of head-to-head and tail-to-tail Y-type structure. X-ray diffraction studies indicate bilayer separations of approximately 30 A. Anisotropic optical absorption in the plane of the film indicates that the thiophene backbones are preferentially oriented along the dipping direction. Further, polarized light microscopy studies indicate that these films are highly birefringent and that the optical retardation is uniform over the entire film. Ellipsometry studies confirm the sizable magnitude of the birefringence. Optical second-harmonic generation studies of multilayer films provide information regarding both the thiophene orientation within the film and the anisotropic distribution of chromophores in the surface plane. Taken together, these data offer strong evidence of highly ordered films in which the hydrophobic polythiophene chains lie parallel to the substrate surface with their alkyl chains oriented normal to the surface, as dictated by the hydrophilic nature of the alkyl chain's terminal tetrahydropyran functional group. As such, these films offer the potential for elucidating the connection between polymer morphology and physical property in materials that are otherwise subject to a sufficiently complex distribution of morphologies that such a correspondence is precluded.     

Grafting acrylic polymers from flat nickel and copper surfaces by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

Acrylic polymers, including poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate), poly( N,N'-dimethyaminoethyl methacrylate), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) were grafted from flat nickel and copper surfaces through surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). For the nickel system, there was a linear relationship between polymer layer thickness and monomer conversion or molecular weight of "free" polymers. The thickness of the polymer brush films was greater than 80 nm after 6 h of reaction time. The grafting density was estimated to be 0.40 chains/nm2. The "living" chain ends of grafted polymers were still active and initiated the growth of a second block of polymer. Block copolymer brushes with different block sequences were successfully prepared. The experimental surface chemical compositions as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy agreed very well with their theoretical values. Water contact angle measurements further confirmed the successful grafting of polymers from nickel and copper surfaces. The surface morphologies of all samples were studied by atomic force microscopy. This study provided a novel approach to prepare stable functional polymer coatings on reactive metal surfaces.     

Highly efficient non-biofouling coating of zwitterionic polymers: poly((3-(methacryloylamino)propyl)-dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide)

This work describes the formation of highly efficient non-biofouling polymeric thin films of poly((3-(methacryloylamino)propyl)-dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide), (poly(MPDSAH)). The poly(MPDSAH) films were generated from the self-assembled monolayers terminating in an initiator of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) by the surface-initiated ATRP of MPDSAH. The poly(MPDSAH) films on a gold surface were characterized by ellipsometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, contact angle goniometery, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The copper complexes and unpolymerized monomers trapped inside the polymer brushes were completely washed out by soaking the poly(MPDSAH)-coated substrate in water at 40 degrees C for 4 days. The amount of proteins nonspecifically adsorbed onto the poly(MPDSAH) films was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy: the adsorption of proteins was <0.6 ng/cm(2) on the surfaces for all the model proteins. The ability of the poly(MPDSAH) films to resist the nonspecific adsorption of proteins was comparable to that of the best known systems.     

Conductive polymer brushes of regioregular head-to-tail poly(3-alkylthiophenes) via catalyst-transfer surface-initiated polycondensation

We describe a new method to grow conductive polymer (CP) brushes of regioregular head-to-tail poly(3-alkylthiophenes) (P3AT) via surface-initiated polycondensation of 2-bromo-5-chloromagnesio-3-alkylthiophene. A simple procedure for the preparation of the Ni(II) macroinitiator by the reaction of Ni(PPh3)4 with photocross-linked poly-4-bromostyrene films was developed. Exposure of the initiator layers to the monomer solution leads to selective chain growth polycondensation of the monomer from the surface, resulting in P3AT brushes in a very economical way. In contrast to the P3AT films prepared by traditional solvent casting methods, our approach leads to mechanically robust CP films, stable against delamination. We believe that our approach will be helpful in the fabrication of all-plastic devices.     

Polymer chain organization and orientation in ultrathin films: A spectroscopic investigation

The effect of confinement on the crystallinity and chain orientation of ultrathin poly(di-n-hexylsilane) films has been investigated using UV absorption, fluorescence and IR spectroscopies. UV absorption measurements in a series of poly(di-n-hexylsilane) films having thicknesses between 50 and 3500 Å have shown that, for thicknesses less than 500 Å, the polymer backbone disorders and extensive crystallization of the films is hindered irrespective of molecular weight or surface hydrophobicity. Fluorescence studies showed that rapid energy transfer occurs from the disordered chain segments to the crystalline ones. The orientation of both the polymer backbone and side chains was probed with IR absorption and grazing incidence reflection measurements. The side chains are extended, although not completely in the all-trans conformation, with their carbon plane mostly perpendicular to the substrate. The backbone lies extended, with the polymer axis parallel to the plane of the film. The hexyl side-chains disorder in films less than 2000 Å thick and this disordering occurs through the introduction of gauche bonds. Our findings suggest the possibility of using thickness to control the chain organization and morphology of a polymer thin film. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Solventless polymerization: spatial migration of a catalyst to form polymeric thin films in microchannels

This paper reports a simple, additive process to generate patterned polymer films without using any solvent. This process involves a highly efficient catalyst, a Grubbs's catalyst, and a volatile monomer, norbornene. The catalyst and monomers have higher local concentrations inside the microchannels, formed by contacting poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamps to a solid surface, and allow the polymeric thin films to be defined by the microchannels. The patterned thin film serves as an excellent resistant to reactive ion etching, which promises that this process is a complementary, useful alternative to spin-coating and plasma polymerization in microfabrication.     

Synthesis of a norbornene monomer having cyclic carbonate moiety based on CO2 fixation and its transition metal‐catalyzed polymerizations

A norbornene monomer bearing cyclic carbonate moiety ( NB‐CC ) was successfully synthesized from the corresponding precursor having epoxy moiety by its reaction with carbon dioxide under atmospheric pressure, which was efficiently catalyzed by lithium bromide. NB‐CC underwent the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) catalyzed by a ruthenium carbene complex to give the corresponding poly(norbornene), of which side chain inherited the cyclic carbonate moiety from the monomer without any deterioration. The same ROMP system was applicable to the copolymerization of NB‐CC and 5‐butyl‐2‐norbornene ( BNB ), which afforded the corresponding copolymer with a composition ratio same as a feed ratio. In addition, by using a catalytic system consisted of palladium (II) acetate/tricyclohexylphosphine/triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, the copolymerization of NB‐CC and BNC proceeded successfully in a vinyl addition polymerization mode to give the corresponding poly(norbornene) having CC moiety in the side chain. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3896–3902, 2010     

The effect of fluorination: a crystallographic and computational study of mesogenic alkyl 4-[2-(perfluorooctyl)ethoxy]benzoates

The series of alkyl 4-[2-(perfluorooctyl)ethoxy]benzoates (F8-n) shows a systematic change of crystal structures depending on the length of the alkyl chain: separate packing of perfluorooctyl (Rf) and alkyl (Rh) chains from each other for shorter (n=2) and longer (n=11) members, alternate packing of Rf and Rh chains for middle (n=6,7) members, and an intermediate type of packing for n=4. Semiempirical MO calculations show slightly repulsive interactions between the Rf chains, and attractive ones between Rf and Rh chains and between Rh and the core of a molecular pair. It is concluded that fluorination determines the molecular shape of the crystal structures by making the chain rigid. It is confirmed that the interactions between Rf chains are small compared with those between other moieties and that they are forced to aggregate owing to the exclusion from other moieties. Thus, the effect is dependent on the geometries and intermolecular interactions of the other moieties.     

Synthesis and palladium‐catalyzed addition polymerization of norbornene carrying epoxy moiety

A norbornene monomer carrying epoxy moiety 1 was successfully synthesized from 5‐norbornene‐2‐carbardehyde by treating it with thioylide. With using a catalytic system consisted of palladium (II) acetate/tricyclohexylphosphine/triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, homopolymerizations and copolymerization of 1 and 5‐butyl‐2‐norbornene (BNB) were examined. The homopolymerization of 1 was slower than that of BNB presumably due to coordination of the epoxy moiety to the palladium‐center in competition with the C? C double bond of norbornene. This deceleration became less significant in the copolymerizations with low initial feed ratios [ 1 ]₀/[BNB]₀, leading to successful formation of the corresponding copolymers having a rigid poly(norbornene) main chain and epoxy moiety in the side chains, of which composition ratios agreed with the feed ratios. Influence of the epoxy moiety of 1 on its Pd‐catalyzed addition polymerization was elucidated by studying the homopolymerization of BNB in the presence of 1,2‐epoxyhexane. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3982–3989, 2009     

Measuring molecular order in poly(3-alkylthiophene) thin films with polarizing spectroscopies

We measured the molecular order of poly(3-alkylthiophene) chains in thin films before and after melting through the combination of several polarized photon spectroscopies: infrared (IR) absorption, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). The data from the various techniques can be uniformly treated in the context of the dielectric constant tensor epsilon for the film. The combined spectroscopies allow determination of the orientation distribution of the main-chain axis (SE and IR), the conjugated pi system normal (NEXAFS), and the side-chain axis (IR). We find significant improvement in the backbone order of the films after recrystallization of the material at temperatures just below the melting temperature. Less aggressive thermal treatments are less effective. IR studies show that the changes in backbone structure occur without significant alteration of the structure of the alkyl side chains. The data indicate that the side chains exhibit significant disorder for all films regardless of the thermal history of the sample.     

Polyelectrolyte blend multilayer films: surface morphology, wettability, and protein adsorption characteristics

We report the influence of polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer films prepared from poly(styrene sulfonate)-poly(acrylic acid) (PSS-PAA) blends, deposited in alternation with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), on film wettability and the adsorption behavior of the protein immunoglobulin G (IgG). Variations in the chemical composition of the PAH/(PSS-PAA) multilayer films, controlled by the PSS/PAA blend ratio in the dipping solutions, were used to systematically control film thickness, surface morphology, surface wettability, and IgG adsorption. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements indicate that increasing the PSS content in the blend solutions results in a systematic decrease in film thickness. Increasing the PSS content in the blend solutions also leads to a reduction in film surface roughness (as measured by atomic force microscopy), with a corresponding increase in surface hydrophobicity. Advancing contact angles (theta) range from 7 degrees for PAH/PAA films through to 53 degrees for PAH/PSS films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that the increase in film hydrophobicity is due to an increase in PSS concentration at the film surface. In addition, the influence of added electrolyte in the PE solutions was investigated. Adsorption from PE solutions containing added salt favors PSS adsorption and results in more hydrophobic films. The amount of IgG adsorbed on the multilayer films systematically increased on films assembled from blends with increasing PSS content, suggesting strong interactions between PSS in the multilayer films and IgG. Hence, multilayer films prepared from blended PE solutions can be used to tune film thickness and composition, as well as wetting and protein adsorption characteristics.