Layer polymers

Madey and co-workers followed the reduction of titanium with XPS during the deposition of metal overlayers on TiOi [87]. This shows the reduction of surface TiOj molecules on adsorption of reactive metals. Film growth is readily monitored by the disappearance of the XPS signal from the underlying surface [88, 89]. This approach can be applied to polymer surfaces [90] and to determine the thickness of polymer layers on metals [91]. Because it is often used for chemical analysis, the method is sometimes referred to as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). Since x-rays are very penetrating, a grazing incidence angle is often used to emphasize the contribution from the surface atoms. 

Estimate the thickness of a polymer layer from the loop profile in Eq. XI-20. Assume x = 0,Xs = 2.,= 0.01, and N = Ifr. Calculate the second moment of this profile (this is often measured by ellipsometry) and compare this thickness to the radius of gyration of the coil Rg = VN/6. 

Klein and co-workers have documented the remarkable lubricating attributes of polymer brushes tethered to surfaces by one end only [56], Studying zwitterionic polystyrene-X attached to mica by the zwitterion end group in a surface forces apparatus, they found /i < 0.001 for loads of 100 and speeds of 15-450 nm/sec. They attributed the low friction to strong repulsions existing between such polymer layers. At higher compression, stick-slip motion was observed. In a related study, they compared the friction between polymer brushes in toluene (ji < 0.005) to that of mica in pure toluene /t = 0.7 [57]. 

Luckham P F and Manimaaran S 1997 Investigating adsorbed polymer layer behaviour using dynamic surface forces apparatuses—a review Adv. Coiioid interface Sc/. 73 1 -46... 

Szleifer I and Carignano M A 1996 Tethered polymer layers Adv. Chem. Phys. 94 165... 

The study of ultraArin polymer layers on metals is relevairt in understairding Are behaviour of polymers on surfaces, as well as in Are areas of adlresion aird corrosion. Gold aird copper surfaces cair be covered wiAr monolayers of polymers by adsorjrtion from solution [227, 228, 229, 230, 231,232, 233, 234 aird 235]. 

In many colloidal systems, both in practice and in model studies, soluble polymers are used to control the particle interactions and the suspension stability. Here we distinguish tliree scenarios interactions between particles bearing a grafted polymer layer, forces due to the presence of non-adsorbing polymers in solution, and finally the interactions due to adsorbing polymer chains. Although these cases are discussed separately here, in practice more than one mechanism may be in operation for a given sample. 

For so-called steric stabilization to be effective, tire polymer needs to be attached to tire particles at a sufficiently high surface coverage and a good solvent for tire polymer needs to be used. Under such conditions, a fairly dense polymer bmsh witli tliickness L will be present around the particles. Wlren two particles approach, such tliat r < d + 2L, tire polymer layers may be compressed from tlieir equilibrium configuration, tluis causing a repulsive interaction. 

Altematively, tire polymer layers may overlap, which increases tire local polymer segment density, also resulting in a repulsive interaction. Particularly on close approach, r < d + L, a steep repulsion is predicted to occur. Wlren a relatively low molecular weight polymer is used, tire repulsive interactions are ratlier short-ranged (compared to tire particle size) and the particles display near hard-sphere behaviour (e.g., [11]). 

Finally, we briefly mention interactions due to adsorbing polymers. Block copolymers, witli one block strongly adsorbing to tire particles, have already been mentioned above. Flere, we focus on homopolymers tliat adsorb moderately strongly to tire particles. If tliis can be done such tliat a high surface coverage is achieved, tire adsorbed polymer layer may again produce a steric stabilization between tire particles. 

Tables 2—5 Hst some typical properties or ranges of properties for the more common film and sheet products. Although these values are good for comparative purposes, actual performance tests are best to determine suitabiHty for use. Properties of multiple-layer films or sheets in laminar stmctures cannot always be predicted from values for the individual polymer layers. Use conditions of stress, temperature, humidity, and light exposure all strongly influence performance. Film and sheet manufacturers can recommend product combinations or variations that may provide significant performance advantages to the user.

Polymers are only marginally important in main memories of semiconductor technology, except for polymeric resist films used for chip production. For optical mass memories, however, they are important or even indispensable, being used as substrate material (in WORM, EOD) or for both substrate material and the memory layer (in CD-ROM). Peripheral uses of polymers in the manufacturing process of optical storage media are, eg, as binder for dye-in-polymer layers or as surfacing layers, protective overcoatings, uv-resist films, photopolymerization lacquers for repHcation, etc. 

The mechanism of hole- or bubble-forrning in metal or dye polymer layers continues to be a subject of intensive investigation (7). 

Membranes made by interfacial polymerization have a dense, highly cross-linked interfacial polymer layer formed on the surface of the support membrane at the interface of the two solutions. A less cross-linked, more permeable hydrogel layer forms under this surface layer and fills the pores of the support membrane. Because the dense cross-linked polymer layer can only form at the interface, it is extremely thin, on the order of 0.1 p.m or less, and the permeation flux is high. Because the polymer is highly cross-linked, its selectivity is also high. The first reverse osmosis membranes made this way were 5—10 times less salt-permeable than the best membranes with comparable water fluxes made by other techniques. 

Chemical Grafting. Polymer chains which are soluble in the suspending Hquid may be grafted to the particle surface to provide steric stabilization. The most common technique is the reaction of an organic silyl chloride or an organic titanate with surface hydroxyl groups in a nonaqueous solvent. For typical interparticle potentials and a particle diameter of 10 p.m, steric stabilization can be provided by a soluble polymer layer having a thickness of - 10 nm. This can be provided by a polymer tail with a molar mass of 10 kg/mol (25) (see Dispersants). 

Most commercially available RO membranes fall into one of two categories asymmetric membranes containing one polymer, or thin-fHm composite membranes consisting of two or more polymer layers. Asymmetric RO membranes have a thin ( 100 nm) permselective skin layer supported on a more porous sublayer of the same polymer. The dense skin layer determines the fluxes and selectivities of these membranes whereas the porous sublayer serves only as a mechanical support for the skin layer and has Httle effect on the membrane separation properties. Asymmetric membranes are most commonly formed by a phase inversion (polymer precipitation) process (16). In this process, a polymer solution is precipitated into a polymer-rich soHd phase that forms the membrane and a polymer-poor Hquid phase that forms the membrane pores or void spaces. 

Termination of the process is effected by the acid polymer layer of the receiving sheet. Acting as an ion exchanger, the acid polymer forms an immobile polymeric salt with the alkah cation and returns water in place of alkah. Capture of alkaUby the polymer molecules prevents deposition of salts on the print surface. The dye developers thus become immobile and inactive as the pH of the system is reduced. 

Aromatic solvents or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAFI) in water, e.g. can be detected by QCM coated with bulk-imprinted polymer layers. Flere, the interaction sites are not confined to the surface of the sensitive material but are distributed within the entire bulk leading to very appreciable sensor responses. Additionally, these materials show high selectivity aromatic solvents e.g. can be distinguished both by the number of methyl groups on the ring (toluene vs. xylene, etc.) and by their respective position. Selectivity factors in this case reach values of up to 100. 

If the rf source is applied to the analysis of conducting bulk samples its figures of merit are very similar to those of the dc source [4.208]. This is also shown by comparative depth-profile analyses of commercial coatings an steel [4.209, 4.210]. The capability of the rf source is, however, unsurpassed in the analysis of poorly or nonconducting materials, e.g. anodic alumina films [4.211], chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-coated tool steels [4.212], composite materials such as ceramic coated steel [4.213], coated glass surfaces [4.214], and polymer coatings [4.209, 4.215, 4.216]. These coatings are used for automotive body parts and consist of a number of distinct polymer layers on a metallic substrate. The total thickness of the paint layers is typically more than 100 pm. An example of a quantitative depth profile on prepainted metal-coated steel is shown as in Fig. 4.39. 

Fig. 12. Schematic of a polymer-coated crosslinked PDMS cap in contact with a polymer-coated flat surface. The PDMS cap is oxidized in 02-plasma, and the polymer layer is coated by solvent casting. On flat surface, the polymer layer is spin coated.

The group in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology [55] has fabricated a macroscale device by depositing the conducting polymer (poly(/j-phenylenevinylene)) on the MWCNT film (Fig. 16). They have observed the characteristic rectifying effect from the l-V curve, which suggests the CNTs inject holes efficiently into the polymer layer. However, due to the difficulty in... 

Fig. 16. Top Illustration of the macroscopic device. BCHA-PPV is poly(2,. i-bis(cholestanoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) [3. il. Bottom Cross section of the device (a) Al contact, (b) polymer layer and (c) CNT film.

As depicted in Figure 9-21, in an ideal case the applied electric field, E, drops linearly through the polymer layer. This internal electric field can be calculated from the applied bias voltage, U, by... 

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