New mechanism of nonequilibrium polymer adsorption

Harry E. Johnson, Steve Granick

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Nonequilibrium states of surface composition can be extremely long-lived when polymer chains adsorb competitively. In a model system (polymethylmethacrylate adsorbed from CCl4 onto oxidized silicon previously saturated with polystyrene), it is shown that a weakly adsorbing polymer was sterically pinned to a surface by a more strongly adsorbing polymer. The dynamical evolution of the surface composition was strongly nonexponential in time and non-Arrhenius in temperature; the phenomenology is analogous to bulk glasses. This interpretation offers a new mechanism to explain why weakly adsorbing chains may bind to surfaces, as well as a direction in which to look for a method to release them.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)966-968
Number of pages3
JournalScience
Volume255
Issue number5047
StatePublished - Feb 21 1992

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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