Preparation of Polymers by Admiceller Polymerization Method and Their Carbonization.

Abstract

Radical polymerization was performed of acrylonitrile solubilized in admicelles of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, formed on a mica substrate in aqueous solution. An attempt was then made to prepare thin carbon film by stabilizing the polyacrylonitrile film thus formed as precursor and carbonizing it and the surface structure of the sample was observed with an atomic force microscope (AFM) after each of the treating processes. The sample surface after polymerization consisted of layers, each being a smooth ultrathin film at the nanometer level. The acrylonitrile film shrank to form a granular structure on the mica surface after stabilization and the granules aggregated after carbonization. Contact angle measurements on the sample surfcce that untreated mica substrate has a hydrophilic surface, which turns hydrophobic after polymerization and the surface hydrophobicity increases as the treating process proceeds further to stabilization and carbonization.