Phase-Separation Structure of a Monolayer of Binary Polymer Blend Studied by Fluorescence Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy

ABSTRACTWe report combined scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) and near-field photocurrent (NPC) imaging of a binary conjugated polymer blend. We find phase separation on a scale of about 5 μm, with a good correspondence between topographic, fluorescence, and photocurrent images. We excited at 488 nm, a wavelength at which only one of the two polymers absorbs light. Under this illumination regions that are high in the topography image show high luminescence and photocurrent.The photoluminescence (PL) efficiencies in the different regions of the sample were determined by calculating the absorbed energy using the Bethe-Bouwkamp model, and knowledge about the chemical composition of the different phases of the polymer blend. The calculation also allowed us to conclude that the photocurrent generation efficiency (current/absorbed photons) of the different polymer phases is comparable within the limit of confidence of this experiment (±10 %).

Download Full-text

Two-Dimensional Polymers Investigated by Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy: Phase Separation of Polymer Blend Monolayer

The Journal of Physical Chemistry B ◽

10.1021/jp0032412 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 105 (20) ◽

pp. 4558-4564 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Hiroyuki Aoki ◽

Shinzaburo Ito

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Optical Microscopy ◽

Polymer Blend ◽

Near Field ◽

Two Dimensional

Download Full-text

Two-dimensional Model Of Phase Separation During Polymerization Of A Binary Polymer Blend

Heterophase Network Polymers ◽

10.1201/9780203005491.ch7 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

Avigeya Ivanova ◽

Leonid Manevich

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Polymer Blend ◽

Two Dimensional ◽

Dimensional Model ◽

Binary Polymer ◽

Two Dimensional Model

Download Full-text

Phase Separation in Supported Phospholipid Bilayers Visualized by Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy in Aqueous Solution

Langmuir ◽

10.1021/la0344736 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 19 (22) ◽

pp. 9246-9254 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

A. Ianoul ◽

P. Burgos ◽

Z. Lu ◽

R. S. Taylor ◽

L. J. Johnston

Keyword(s):

Aqueous Solution ◽

Phase Separation ◽

Optical Microscopy ◽

Near Field ◽

Phospholipid Bilayers ◽

Scanning Optical Microscopy ◽

Near Field Scanning

Download Full-text

Soft-shear induced phase-separated nanoparticle string-structures in polymer thin films

Faraday Discussions ◽

10.1039/c5fd00141b ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 186 ◽

pp. 31-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ren Zhang ◽

Bongjoon Lee ◽

Michael R. Bockstaller ◽

Abdullah M. Al-Enizi ◽

Ahmed Elzatahry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Phase Separation ◽

Polymer Blends ◽

Polymer Blend ◽

Polymer Chains ◽

Translation Speed ◽

Binary Polymer ◽

The Matrix ◽

P Application ◽

Nanoparticle Structure

Application of shear stress has been shown to unidirectionally orient the microstructures of block copolymers and polymer blends. In the present work, we study the phase separation of a novel nanoparticle (NP)–polymer blend thin film system under shear using a soft-shear dynamic zone annealing (DZA-SS) method. The nanoparticles are densely grafted with polymer chains of chemically dissimilar composition from the matrix polymer, which induces phase separation upon thermal annealing into concentrated nanoparticle domains. We systematically examine the influence of DZA-SS translation speed and thus the effective shear rate on nanoparticle domain elongation and compare this with the counterpart binary polymer blend behavior. Unidirectionally aligned nanoparticle string-domains are fabricated in the presence of soft-shear in confined thin film geometry. We expect this DZA-SS method to be applicable to various NP–polymer blends towards unidirectionally aligned nanoparticle structures, which are important to functional nanoparticle structure fabrication.

Download Full-text