Adhesion of amorphous polymers as a function of temperature probed with AFM force–distance curves

Force–displacement curves have been obtained with a commercial atomic force microscope at different temperatures and probe rates on a thick film of poly(n  -butyl methacrylate) and on two films of polystyrene with different molecular weight. In a previous publication [B. Cappella, S.K. Kaliappan, H. Sturm, Macromolecules 38 (2005)1874](2005)1874] the analysis of force–displacement curves has been focused on the stiffness and on the Young's modulus of the samples. In the present publication we consider the temperature dependence of the work of adhesion. We have obtained master curves of the work of adhesion at fixed maximum loads and, by comparing the results of the two analysis, we show that the work of adhesion follows the Williams–Landel–Ferry equation with the same coefficients previously found for the Young's modulus. Furthermore, we show that the temperature dependence of the work of adhesion of the polymers is a consequence of the temperature dependence of the tip–sample contact area and in the end of the temperature dependence of the stiffness and of the elastic–plastic properties of the samples.