AbstractGlass transition temperature of polyetherimide (PEI) thin films and nanoporous PEI samples was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. In both of these systems, the glass transition temperature decreased with respect to the bulk value. In the nanoporous system, scanning electron microscope images were used to characterize pore size distribution, and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to calculate the nearest neighbor pore-to-pore distances. Pore-to-pore distances and thin film thickness values were used to establish a quantitative analogy between thin films and nanoporous system.
Influence of grafting on the glass transition temperature of PS thin films