Chemical force spectroscopy in heterogeneous systems: intermolecular interactions involving epoxy polymer, mixed...

We used chemical force microscopy (CFM) to study adhesive forces between surfaces of epoxy resin and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) capable of hydrogen bonding to different extents. The influence of the liquid medium in which the experiments were carried out was also examined systematically. The molecular character of the tip, polymer, and liquid all influenced the adhesion. Complementary macroscopic contact angle measurements were used to assist in the quantitative interpretation of the CFM data. A direct correlation between surface free energy and adhesion forces was observed in mixed alcohol-water solvents. An increase in surface energy from 2 to 50 mJ/m(2) resulted in an increase in adhesion from 4-8 nN to 150-300 nN for tips with radii of 50-150 nm. The interfacial surface energy for identical nonpolar surface groups of SAMs was found not to exceed 2 mJ/m(2). An analysis of adhesion data suggests that the solvent was fully excluded from the zone of contact between functional groups on the tip and sample. With a nonpolar SAM, the force of adhesion increased monotonically in mixed solvents of higher water content; whereas, with a polar SAM (one having a hydrogen bonding component), higher water content led to decreased adhesion. The intermolecular force components theory was used for the interpretation of adhesion force measurements in polar solvents. Competition between hydrogen bonding within the solvent and hydrogen bonding of surface groups and the solvent was shown to provide the main contribution to adhesion forces. We demonstrate how the trends in the magnitude of the adhesion forces for chemically heterogeneous systems (solvents and surfaces) measured with CFM can be quantitatively rationalized using the surface tension components approach. For epoxy polymer, inelastic deformations also contributed heavily to measured adhesion forces.