On the nanostructure of polymer layers formed by adsorption from binary and ternary solutions on a solid SiO2: a combined adsorption and atomic force microscopy (AFM) study

The thickness of nanolayers formed by adsorption from dilute and semi-dilute solutions on a solid SiO₂ surface has been estimated from adsorption isotherms and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements for polystyrene, poly(butyl methacrylate), and their mixtures. The thickness of the adsorption layers depends strongly on the adsorption conditions and is controlled by several features of the adsorbing entities. In a low-concentration regime of adsorption, the length of polymer chains and the nature of their interaction with the substrate are the most important factors controlling the adsorption process. Above the critical concentration C*, macromolecular clusters (aggregates of several overlapping chains) are formed in a solution as a result of polymer chains self-assembly. Therefore, the final adsorption layer thickness is determined mainly by the size of the clusters in this concentrated regime of adsorption. We also demonstrate that in the case of polymer mixtures, the adsorption leads to formation of mosaic structures with alternation of the polymeric components in plane of the substrate and a characteristic domain size of approximately 200 nm for each of the components. AFM study reveals that the adsorbed layers are fractal structures whose fractal dimensions depend on the type of the polymer and the adsorption process. We demonstrate therefore that the structure of nanolayers of polymers and their mixtures on the solid surface can be regulated by variation of the adsorption conditions.