Morphology Of Polymer Films Research Articles

Transient rheology and morphology in sheared nanolayer polymer films

Abstract The rheology of coextruded layered films of polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS/PMMA) has been studied with small and large amplitude oscillations at a temperature above their glass transition. While the complex viscosity remains constant over the experimental time window for the micron-sized layered films, a decrease has been observed for the nanolayered films. The rheological behavior has then been correlated to the morphological evolution of the multilayer films while the nanolayers dewet. Layer breakup followed by retraction and coalescence leading to a lamellar-like blend morphology followed by a nodular-like morphology has been evidenced in the nanolayer films, for all compositions and conditions tested. The analysis of the microscopic images of the Lfilm cross-sections also provided the droplet size distribution. The nodular morphology is achieved more rapidly when the initial layers are the thinnest at low strains, while at high strains the formation of these droplets is prevented. Graphical abstract

Impact of the alkyl side-chain length on solubility, interchain packing, and charge-transport properties of amorphous π-conjugated polymers

Increasing the length of alkyl side chains is a typical way to improve the solubility of π-conjugated polymers designed for use in solution-processed devices. However, these modifications have also been reported to alter the film morphology. Given that the mechanism leading to improved solubility is not well documented yet and the nanoscale (local) morphologies of amorphous π-conjugated polymer films are difficult to characterize experimentally, here, we combine molecular dynamics simulations and long-range corrected density functional theory calculations to examine at the molecular scale the impact that the alkyl side-chain length has on polymer solubility and film morphologies. As a representative example, we consider poly(thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione-alt-3,4-difluorothiophene) (PTPD[2F]T) with two different lengths of the alkyl side chains on the thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) moieties, i.e., 2-hexyldecyl (2HD) and 2-decyltetradecyl (2DT). A detailed analysis of polymer–solvent and polymer–polymer interactions provides a picture that describes the underlying mechanism for improved solubility in going from 2HD to 2DT. We then underline an intrinsic characteristic that decreasing the side-chain length brings a greater extent of backbone planarity and lesser side chain-TPD interactions, which leads to higher interchain π-π packing density and order, while the interchain π-π packing patterns remain similar in the two films. These morphologies are discussed in terms of the charge-transport properties between neighboring PTPD[2F]T chains, which point to a higher electron mobility in the PTPD[2F]T films with shorter alkyl side chains. Overall, our findings offer guidance in the field of solution-processed electronic devices by pointing out that the polymer alkyl side-chain length could be minimized to improve carrier mobility while ensuring polymer solubility.

Resolving conjugated polymer film morphology with polarised transmission and time-resolved emission microscopy

The alignment of chromophores plays a crucial role in determining the optoelectronic properties of materials. Such alignment can make interpretation of fluorescence anisotropy microscopy (FAM) images somewhat ambiguous. The time-resolved emission behaviour can also influence the fluorescence anisotropy. This is particularly the case when probing excitation energy migration between chromophores in a condensed phase. Ideally information concerning the chromophoric alignment, emission decay kinetics and fluorescence anisotropy can be recorded and correlated. We report on the use of polarised transmission imaging (PTI) coupled with both steady-state and time-resolved FAM to enable accurate identification of chromophoric alignment and morphology in thin films of a conjugated polydiarylfluorene. We show that the combination of these three imaging modes presents a comprehensive methodology for investigating the alignment and morphology of chromophores in thin films, particularly for accurately mapping the distribution of amorphous and crystalline phases within the thin films, offering valuable insights for the design and optimization of materials with enhanced optoelectronic performance.

Tunable evaporation-induced surface morphologies on chitosan film for light management

The surface morphologies of polymer films have been used to improve the performance or enable new applications of films, such as controllable adhesion, shape morphing and light management. However, complicated and destructive methods were applied to produce surface morphologies on chitosan (CS) film. To overcome this challenge, we report an evaporation-induced self-assembly to form the tunable morphologies on the surface of short-chain chitosan film by varying the evaporation rates that influence the aggregation behavior of polymer chains between order and disorder. It enables the simple, tunable and scalable fabrication of surface morphologies on CS film (CS solution concentration: 2 wt%, drying from room temperature (RT) to 80 °C) that provides controllable haze (3–74 %) and high transmittance (>85 %) for the production of hazy and transparent window coatings. This simple approach to producing tunable surface morphologies could inspire the synthesis of multifunctional polymer films with different surface structures, whose applications can be extended to cell culture interfaces, flexible bioelectronic and optoelectronic devices.

A comparative study of the effects of gas bubbles generated from hydrazine or/and water on the surface morphology and hydrophobicity of electrodeposited polymer films

The electrodeposition of polymeric films of a fluorene-bridged dicarbazole monomer containing linear polyfluorinated side chains is here investigated, with regard to the use of on-site electrochemically generated gas bubbles from hydrazine or water as soft template agent. The interconnected effects of the bubbles precursor and electrochemical parameters employed on the morphology and water wettability properties of the electrodeposited films are demonstrated. The use of N2H4 as a gas precursor proved to be a versatile, complementary alternative to water, which allows a finer tuning of the electrodeposited polymer film morphology.

Thermal-dependent morphological evolution effect on ion transportation in polyethylene oxide films

PEO films were prepared on glass substrates from dissolved PEO powder in methanol using the solution casting technique. The investigation of these PEO films involved the utilization of Atomic Force Microscopy, Dielectric Relaxation, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance techniques to explore alterations in the morphology of the polyethylene oxide polymer films as a response to consecutive thermal cycling at various heating and cooling rates. The dielectric loss curve dependency on frequency for each temperature point within the thermal cycles was fitted with a Havriliak–Negami function with an electrical conductivity contribution. The relaxation times associated with the α- and β-relaxation processes were determined by applying the Arrhenius temperature law, enabling the calculation of the respective activation energies. The study reveals the influence of heating rates on the reversibility of dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss, and dielectric strength, which remains consistent at 2 K/min but not at 0.35 K/min. It also emphasizes the impact of crystallinity on the electrical conductivity of PEO films, highlighting the significance of the amorphous state. The investigation of activation energies for β-relaxation and α-relaxation reveals values of 0.40 eV and 0.74 eV, respectively, in line with similar materials. 1H NMR spectra were studied to differentiate between the crystalline and amorphous phases. The peaks corresponding to the crystalline phase exhibit broad NMR signals with overlapping characteristics attributed to the diverse crystalline structural environments that are present.

Effect of gamma ray on self-induced diffraction patterns of organic compound Poly (methyl-methacrylate films

Poly (methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) doped organic compound (2-(2,3-dimethylphenyl-amino)-N-Phenyl benzamide) (2-NPb (films are produced on glass substrates with 5 μm thickness. The influence that gamma (γ) radiation has on the structure of the surface morphology of polymer films, the structure dependence of the optoelectronic properties and the optical properties of a prepared 2-NPb:PMMA film was studied under different doses (21, 42 and 64 KGy) of γ- rays emitted by a 137Cs source with an exposure rate of 0.56 Gy/min. The surface morphology of the 2-NPb:PMMA film for un-irradiated and irradiated sample was studied using a microscope with a digital camera along with texture, waviness and roughenss analysis of the entire surface of the films. The optical properties, together with an in-depth analysis of the dispersion energies and parameters, optoelectrical characteristics, and certain nonlinear optical parameters were comprehensively examined and addressed. In addition, the study of optical properties also included some nonlinear optical parameters. Results show that by doping organic compound (2-NPb) in PMMA, the absorption spectra of samples are decreased and superficial morphology of the film has been affected by γ-rays. As the polymer film was irradiated with a continuous-solid state laser (Solid-State-Laser −532–100 T) beam of 532 nm, self-diffraction ring patterns were seen, and it was shown that the diffraction ring patterns rely heavily on ring numbers and radiation dosage. The nonlinear refractive index,n2, for polymer film for un-irradiated and irradiated are estimated to be 0.23×10-6, 0.92×10-6, 1.64×10-6, 3.14×10-6cm2/W, respectively due to diffraction ring patterns. The diffraction ring patterns that were acquired via experimentation are then numerically estimated by making use of the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral. The results of these calculations have satisfactory qualitative and quantitative accords.

Tailoring the properties in conjugated copolymer P(EDOS-co-EDOT): Electrochemical polymerization and role of heteroatom

Considering the significant work on copolymerization, very little is known about the copolymerization of two heteroaromatic rings to generate new properties. In this work, we report a series of conducting copolymers [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxyselenophene)-co-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)] [denoted as P(EDOS-co-EDOT)] synthesized via anodic polymerization using different feed ratios of two engaged monomers. Three feed ratios of monomers 3,4-ethylenedioxyselenophene (EDOS) and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) were used as 5:1, 1:1, and 1:5 for electrochemical copolymerization in acetonitrile containing 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate as a supporting electrolyte. Corresponding homopolymers PEDOS and PEDOT were also prepared from monomers EDOS and EDOT, respectively, by electrochemical polymerization to sight the analogy and differences in the properties of obtained copolymers with respect to individual homopolymers. Copolymers were structurally characterized via Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence. The redox traits, optoelectronic properties and surface morphology of as-prepared polymer films were characterized using cyclic voltammetry, spectroelectrochemistry and field emission scanning electron microscope, respectively. Electrochemical stability of the copolymers was examined by repeating redox cycles. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to get an understanding of the trends in energy levels, and comparisons were made with the experimental results. Copolymer films exhibited deep blue color in the neutral state while transmissive gray in oxidized state. Electrochromic properties of the copolymers were carried out, and found highest optical contrast ratio to be 36.86% and coloration efficiency of 62.89 cm2 C − 1 for 1:5 ratio. It was found that all the copolymers have different highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels resulting from their distinct redox behavior and band gap values lie within the range of homopolymers. Thus, copolymerization is an effective route for the synthesis of polymer to tune the properties for electronic applications.

Cyano-Functionalized Fused Bithiophene Imide Dimer-Based n-Type polymers for High-Performance Organic Thermoelectrics.

Doped n-type polymers usually exhibit low electrical conductivities and thermoelectric power factors (PFs), restricting the development of high-performance p-n junction-based organic thermoelectrics (OTEs). Herein we report the design and synthesis of a new cyano-functionalized fused bithiophene imide dimer (f-BTI2), CNI2, which synergistically combines the advantages of both cyano and imide functionalities, thus leading to substantially higher electron deficiency than the parent f-BTI2. On the basis of this novel building block, a series of n-type donor-acceptor and acceptor-acceptor polymers were successfully synthesized, all of which show good solubility, deep-lying frontier molecular orbital levels, and favorable polymer chain orientation. Among them, the acceptor-acceptor polymer PCNI2-BTI delivers an excellent electrcial conductivity up to 150.2 S cm-1 and a highest PF of 110.3 μW m-1 K-2 in n-type OTEs, attributed to the optimized polymer electronic properties and film morphology with improved molecular packing and higher crystallinity assisted by solution-shearing technology. The PF value is the record of n-type polymers for OTEs to date. This work demonstrates a facile approach to designing high-performance n-type polymers and fabricating high-quality films for OTE applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Controlled Release and Cell Viability of Ketoconazole Incorporated in PEG 4000 Derivatives.

In recent years, polymeric materials have been gaining prominence in studies of controlled release systems to obtain improvements in drug administration. These systems present several advantages compared with conventional release systems, such as constant maintenance in the blood concentration of a given drug, greater bioavailability, reduction of adverse effects, and fewer dosages required, thus providing a higher patient compliance to treatment. Given the above, the present work aimed to synthesize polymeric matrices derived from polyethylene glycol (PEG) capable of promoting the controlled release of the drug ketoconazole in order to minimize its adverse effects. PEG 4000 is a widely used polymer due to its excellent properties such as hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and non-toxic effects. In this work, PEG 4000 and derivatives were incorporated with ketoconazole. The morphology of polymeric films was observed by AFM and showed changes on the film organization after drug incorporation. In SEM, it was possible to notice spheres that formed in some incorporated polymers. The zeta potential of PEG 4000 and its derivatives was determined and suggested that the microparticle surfaces showed a low electrostatic charge. Regarding the controlled release, all the incorporated polymers obtained a controlled release profile at pH 7.3. The release kinetics of ketoconazole in the samples of PEG 4000 and its derivatives followed first order for PEG 4000 HYDR INCORP and Higuchi for the other samples. Cytotoxicity was determined and PEG 4000 and its derivatives were not cytotoxic.

Modification of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Polymer Films Surface of Various Compositions by Laser Processing.

The results of surface modification of solvent casting films made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) of various compositions are presented: homopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB) and copolymers comprising various combinations of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 4-hydroxybutyrate(4HB), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomers treated with a CO2 laser in continuous and quasi-pulsed radiation modes. The effects of PHAs film surface modification, depending on the composition and ratio of monomers according to the results of the study of SEM and AFM, contact angles of wetting with water, adhesion and growth of fibroblasts have been revealed for the laser radiation regime used. Under continuous irradiation with vector lines, melted regions in the form of grooves are formed on the surface of the films, in which most of the samples have increased values of the contact angle and a decrease in roughness. The quasi-pulse mode by the raster method causes the formation of holes without pronounced melted zones, the total area of which is lower by 20% compared to the area of melted grooves. The number of viable fibroblasts NIH 3T3 on the films after the quasi-pulse mode is 1.5-2.0 times higher compared to the continuous mode, and depends to a greater extent on the laser treatment mode than on the PHAs' composition. The use of various modes of laser modification on the surface of PHAs with different compositions makes it possible to influence the morphology and properties of polymer films in a targeted manner. The results that have been obtained contribute to solving the critical issue of functional biodegradable polymeric materials.

The continuous fiber networks with a balanced bimodal orientation of P(NDI2OD-T2) by controlling solution nucleation and face-on and edge-on crystallization rates

The conjugated semiconducting polymer film morphology with long fiber and optimizing molecular packing is strongly correlated with charge transport properties. Herein, we report a method to obtain continuous fiber networks with a balanced bimodal orientation of poly{[N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophene)} [P(NDI2OD-T2)] thin films by controlling solution nucleation and edge-on and face-on crystallization rates. This is enabled by adding ethylene glycol (EG) (the optimal content is 3 vol%) to P(NDI2OD-T2) in chloroform solution which improves the polarization of the NDI2OD units along the backbone direction and solution pre-aggregation. Therefore, the crystal nuclei are formed in solution state during the three-phase line receding as characterized by in situ polarized optical microscopy. Moreover, the peak intensity of the aggregated state increases with solvent evaporation, illustrating that the nucleation and crystal growth proceed simultaneously in the drying process as revealed by in situ ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra. The film morphology of continuous fibrous networks with an average fiber length of 531 nm is formed. In addition, the slopes of (100) peak area vs time in the out-of-plane and in-plane directions are similar, indicating that the edge-on and face-on crystallization rates are almost equal as obtained from in situ grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. Thus, the bimodal orientation with an edge-on and face-on mixing ratio is approximately 1. The average electron mobility of the field effect transistors of P(NDI2OD-T2) films with this continuous fiber network reaches to 0.2 cm2 V−1 s−1, an almost 3-fold improvement compared with devices without EG addition films.

Influence of initial composition of casting solution on morphology of porous thin polymer films produced via phase separation

Influence of initial composition of casting solution on morphology of porous thin polymer films produced via phase separation

Dual-Color Emission from Spatially Distributed Quantum Dots in Poly(l-lactide) Films with Diverse Morphologies.

Polymer-based multicolor emissive materials have growing demand due to their potential applications in various fields such as full-color displays, bioimaging, and light sources because of their processability and high stability. Herein, we report dual-color emissive hybrid materials based on biocompatible poly(l-lactide) and polyethylene glycol-modified two-dimensional layered double hydroxide quantum dots (PEG-LDHQDs). The morphology of polymer films tunes the spatial distribution of QDs within the polymer matrix, modulating the energy transfer between the QDs and affording the dual emission behavior in the aggregated states. The amorphous hybrid films show single emission (blue) from the finely dispersed QDs (mostly isolated) within the polymer matrix. In contrast, dual emission (blue and red) was observed when the polymer was crystallized due to the possible accumulation of QDs at the interface of crystalline and amorphous phases in the lamellar structure. Furthermore, the dual emission could be enhanced by the aggregation of QDs on the pores of the breath figure pattern constructed on the surface of the hybrid film.

Surface morphology and chemical microstructure of glow discharge polymer films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at various Ar/H2 ratios

Glow discharge polymer were selected as ablators for inertial confinement fusion experiments. In order to improve the surface smoothness, Ar was added to the T2B/H2 plasma to prepare the glow discharge polymer film. The effects of Ar/H2 ratio on plasma properties, chemical bond structure and surface morphology of film were investigated. The results indicated that the density of hydrocarbon ions containing multi-carbon decreased gradually with the increase of Ar/H2 ratio. The degree of carbon-carbon crosslinking first increased and then decreased with the increase of Ar/H2 ratio. Within a certain range, an increase in Ar/H2 ratio led to a better surface morphology and fewer cauliflower-like defects. When too much Ar participated in the discharge, the surface morphology deteriorated again. These results indicated that the mechanism of Ar on the surface morphology of the glow discharge polymer films could be attributed to two physical effects: the aggregation of hydrocarbon groups in the plasma gas phase and the bombardment of the bonded hydrocarbon clusters in the films by high-energy ions and atoms during the process of film deposition.

Modification of fabric via co-grafted with fluorine-free carbene polymer and its hydrophobicity

In this paper, by means of carbene polymerization, low surface energy polymers were covalently grafted onto the surface of cotton fabric, which successfully constructed a rough morphology in-situ and provided excellent hydrophobic properties. Firstly, the grafting site was constructed on the surface of cotton fiber, and octyl diazoacetate was synthesized as a precursor and grafted onto cotton fiber. However, due to the soft side-chain grafted polymer was film-forming, the WCA of fabric grafted with octyl diazoacetate was only 124.0 ± 2.1°. In order to construct a roughening morphology in-situ, tert -butyl diazoacetate and phenyl diazoacetate was introduced and co-grafted with octyl diazoacetate. It was found that tert -butyl diazoacetate and phenyl diazoacetate were polymerized into spherical and cubic crystals on the surface of cotton fiber, respectively. These two precursors were co-grafted with octyl diazoacetate on the surface of cotton fiber to produce a rigid polymer chain and form roughening crystal morphology. The surface morphology of the treated fiber was tested by SEM, AFM and ImageJ, it was found that different morphologies could be formed on the fiber surface when octyl diazoacetate and tert -butyl diazoacetate were co-grafted with different molar ratios. Among them, when octyl diazoacetate/ tert -butyl diazoacetate(1:19)was used, the composite morphology of polymer film coated particles can be formed on the fiber surface, and the surface modification of “roughening” increased the WCA of the fabric to 143.2 ± 1.8°, which gave the fabric good hydrophobicity. When octyl diazoacetate was co-grafted with phenylethylcarbene diazoacetate at the molar ratio of 1:19, the surface of the treated fiber appeared film-like and microspheres embedded in the membrane. It is worth pointing out that the film-wrapped microsphere on the fiber surface provides a lotus leaf-like morphology. The WCA of the as-prepared fabric reached 151.2 ± 0.8° with excellent self-cleaning properties and super hydrophobicity. • The rough surface morphology was formed by carbene polymerization grafting. • Superhydrophobic fabric was prepared by fluorine-free finishing. • A method of carbene polymerization grafting modified cotton fabric was proposed.

Significant Enhancement of the Electrical Conductivity of Conjugated Polymers by Post-Processing Side Chain Removal.

The processability and electronic properties of conjugated polymers (CPs) have become increasingly important due to the potential of these materials in redox and solid-state devices for a broad range of applications. To solubilize CPs, side chains are needed, but such side chains reduce the relative fraction of electroactive material in the film, potentially obstructing π-π intermolecular interactions, localizing charge carriers, and compromising desirable optoelectronic properties. To reduce the deleterious effects of side chains, we demonstrate that post-processing side chain removal, exemplified here via ester hydrolysis, significantly increases the electrical conductivity of chemically doped CP films. Beginning with a model system consisting of an ester functionalized ProDOT copolymerized with a dimethylProDOT, we used a variety of methods to assess the changes in polymer film volume and morphology upon hydrolysis and resulting active material densification. Via a combination of electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and charge transport models, we demonstrate that this increase in electrical conductivity is not due to an increase in degree of doping but an increase in charge carrier density and reduction in carrier localization that occurs due to side chain removal. With this improved understanding of side chain hydrolysis, we then apply this method to high-performance ProDOT-alt-EDOTx copolymers. After hydrolysis, these ProDOT-alt-EDOTx copolymers yield exceptional electrical conductivities (∼700 S/cm), outperforming all previously reported oligoether-/glycol-based CP systems. Ultimately, this methodology advances the ability to solution process highly electrically conductive CP films.

Alignment of linear polymeric grains for highly stable N-type thin-film transistors

Summary Temperature-insensitive properties are attractive for most electronics, including polymeric semiconducting devices. Especially, polymeric field-effect transistors (FETs) with high mobility have been important research targets due to their broad applications. However, polymeric FETs with stable charge transport operating at extremely cold or hot zones are faced with enormous challenges. In this study, the polyacrylonitrile was found to significantly tune the sizes of pre-aggregates of polymers in solutions and the crystallinity of the polymeric films. The orientation of 5–25 μm linear grains in the films were prepared through the bar-coating process with polyacrylonitrile as an additive, which stabilized the electron mobility over a wide range of temperatures. The linear-grain morphology of the film contributed to reducing the holes and grain boundaries in the transport paths of carriers. Typically, the top-gate FETs based on P(NDI2OD-T2) displayed a stable electron transporting behavior from 200 to 460 K, with mobility greater than 3.5 cm2V−1s−1.

Nanofiller-assisted Na+-conducting polymer nanocomposite for ultracapacitor: structural, dielectric and electrochemical properties

We report the preparation of ZrO2 nanofiller-incorporated polymer nanocomposite electrolyte based on the PEO-NaPF6 matrix via standard solution cast method. The structure and morphology of polymeric films have been examined with X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Different interactions between the polymer, salt and nanofiller have been examined by Fourier transform infrared technique. The temperature-dependent (40–100 °C) electrical conductivity has been examined from complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS). The highest ionic conductivity is exhibited by 5 wt% nanofiller-based electrolyte and recorded ~ 2 × 10–4 S cm−1 at 100 °C. The voltage stability window of polymeric film checked from linear sweep voltammetry is about ~ 4 V, and ion transference number close to unity confirms the major contribution from ion conduction. The dielectric properties have been explored in terms of complex permittivity, loss tangent and complex conductivity. The dielectric plots have been further fitted with an associated equation to evaluate principal dielectric parameters. The optimized polymer electrolyte possesses the lowest relaxation time and the highest dielectric constant that suggests the highest ionic conductivity, which is in good correlation with impedance results. The dc conductivity is also highest for the optimum system, and relaxation time decreases with an increase in temperature. The thermal stability of polymer electrolytes is about 200 °C, as examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The ion transport parameters n, μ, D have been evaluated via FTIR, impedance spectroscopy and Bandara and Mellander (B–M) approach. Finally, the optimized polymer nanocomposite film has been used as an electrolyte-cum-separator for the fabrication of a solid-state symmetric supercapacitor. The electrochemical parameters specific capacitance, energy density, power density have been examined from cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge technique. It may be concluded that nanofiller incorporation is an effective strategy to enhance the properties of electrolyte and has the potential to adopt as an electrolyte-cum-separator for ultracapacitor.

Trypanocidal Activity and Increased Solubility of Benznidazole Incorporated in PEG 4000 and Its Derivatives

Selecting a polymer depends on its characteristics, the properties of the drug and of the remaining ingredients in the formulation. The drug, when incorporated into a polymeric matrix, can show several advantages when compared with its conventional form. In this context, this work describes the preparation and characterization of polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000) and its derivative particles loaded with benznidazole, as well as evaluates their trypanocidal activity. In this work, reactions to modify the PEG 4000 polymer and the subsequent incorporation of the benznidazole were made. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis confirmed the efficiency in modifying the PEG chains. The morphology of polymeric films was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and showed considerable changes on the film organization. The acetylation of PEG favored the stability of the system and an increase in the zeta potential from -14.83 to -25.54 mV was observed. Although encapsulation efficiency values between 30.14 and 39.48% were found, the enhanced benznidazole dissolution profile by microparticles enables the use of lower drug concentrations. This fact can be proven by the increased trypanocidal effect of benznidazole when encapsulated in BP3 microparticles. Finally, the high selectivity of the formulations for trypanocidal action guarantees their safety as an alternative for the treatment of the Chagas disease.