Model Polymers for Probing Surface and Interfacial Phenomena

Abstract

This chapter will review the use of model polymer systems for studying surface and interfacial properties. It is not intended to be all inclusive in regard to the overall chemistry of the systems, or even to review each and every polymer which has been investigated. This chapter is meant to provide a condensed overview of the bulk and surface characteristics of selected systems. Generally these model polymers are systematically prepared in order to change the bulk composition of polymeric material. The bulk composition is then extrapolated to the interface. It must be emphasized that this extrapolation is often not direct. The tendency is for the polymer to minimize its interfacial energies; thus, a polymer cast against a clean (high energy) glass surface may exhibit different surface properties than the same polymer’s air-exposed surface. These effects are more pronounced in block copolymers which may have large domains of different surface properties. A polymer with high glass transition temperature may retain its surface energies for extended periods of time or until annealing. Polymers with their glass transition below room temperature may reorient quite rapidly upon exposure to different environments and may have different groups exposed in an air environment as compared to an aqueous environment. (See Chapter 2.)