Surface reconstruction of the lamellar morphology in a symmetric poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-methyl methacrylate) triblock copolymer: A tapping mode scanning force microscope study
The surface morphology of a symmetric poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-methyl methacrylate) triblock copolymer (PS-b-PB-b-PMMA) with 6 wt % PB has been investigated by tapping mode scanning force microscopy (SFM). The results are compared to the bulk morphology as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In solvent-cast films PS/PMMA lamellae are formed, which are oriented nearly perpendicular to the free surface. Like in the bulk, also at the free film surface polybutadiene spheres are located at the lamellar PS/PMMA interface. However, contrary to the bulk, the surface morphology includes a large number of defects such as curved lamellar and disclinations, and the lamellar …
Ordering and dewetting in spin-coated films of a liquid crystalline main chain polymer
Abstract The ordering of spin-coated films of a main-chain smectic liquid crystalline polymer with an azobenzene group connected by flexible spacers to a phenyl malonate unit has been studied as a function of film thickness using scanning force microscopy and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Already the as-prepared films are characterized by a significant out-of-plane orientation of the azobenzene groups. Annealing of films thicker than 7 nm results in aggregation and homeotropical alignment of azobenzene groups forming smectic layers parallel to the substrate. An optically isotropic mesophase was found upon annealing in the temperature range of smectic mesophase. Films thinner than the bilayer thickne…