| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5363396 | Applied Surface Science | 2011 | 5 Pages |
The thermo-responsive behavior of polymer films consisting of novel linear triblock copolymers of poly(n-butyl methacrylate)-poly(methyl methacrylate)-poly(2-fluoroethyl methacrylate) (PnBuMA-PMMA-P2FEMA) are reported using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), atomic forcing microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contacting angle (CA) measurements. The surface morphology, wettability and chemical structure of thin films of these triblock copolymers on silicon wafers as a function of temperature have been investigated. It has been shown that the wettability of the films is thermally switchable. Detailed structural analysis shows that thermo-responsive surface composition changes are produced. The underlying mechanism of the thermoresponsive behavior is discussed.
⺠Thin films of the linear block terpolymers show a thermally reversible behavior. ⺠Thermal switching is driven by the miscibility among the blocks showing UCST and LCST. ⺠Thin films exhibit lamella-like structures in both UCST and LCST regimes. ⺠Surface structural changes with temperature are identified.
