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Conformation in Ultrathin Polymer Brush Coatings Resolved by Infrared Nanoscopy
Andres de Los Santos Pereira1, Adrian Cernescu2, Jan Svoboda1
1Department of Chemistry and Physics of Surfaces and Biointerfaces, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Heyrovsky sq. 2, 162 06 Prague, Czech Republic.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 5, 2020
Summary
Researchers used spectroscopic nanoscopy to study polymer brush coatings. This technique revealed nanoscale variations in poly(ethylene oxide) chain conformation, uncovering a crystalline phase and a new characterization method.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Polymer brush coatings prevent blood coagulation and bacterial adhesion.
- Chain conformation is crucial for coating effectiveness but lacks high-resolution characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the chain conformation of polymer brush coatings at high spatial resolution.
- To explore the potential of mid-infrared spectroscopic nanoscopy for this purpose.
Main Methods:
- Mid-infrared spectroscopic nanoscopy was employed on thin poly(ethylene oxide) films.
- Theoretic modeling was used to analyze spectral data and extract chain conformation and orientation.
Main Results:
- Marked spectral variations were observed at length scales below 100 nm.
- These variations were attributed to the physical conformation of poly(ethylene oxide) chains.
- A spontaneous crystalline phase formation was confirmed.
Conclusions:
- Spectroscopic nanoscopy provides high spatial resolution for polymer brush characterization.
- The study reveals nanoscale conformational heterogeneity and crystalline phase in poly(ethylene oxide) films.
- This technique is a powerful new tool for analyzing polymer coatings.
