Formation of honeycomb patterns in evaporated polymer solutions: Influence of the molecular weight

The influence of polymer molecular weight on the formation of honeycomb patterns obtained by evaporation of polystyrene solutions was investigated. Pattern structure was studied with scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. It was determined that molecular weight exerts a decisive influence on the patterns makeup. Pore size and depth, distance between pores and specific porosity depend strongly on the polymer's molecular weight.