B08 Broadband dielectric spectroscopy to study molecular dynamics in nanometer thin layers of blockcopolymers.

The project B08 went through some changes over time. The project investigated :

  1. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy to study molecular dynamics in nanometer thin layers of blockcopolymers in the first funding period:
    2011-2015

  2. Broadband dielectric and IR spectroscopy to study molecular dynamics and order in nanometer domains of endfixed polymers in the second funding period: 2015-2019

  3. Refined Infrared Spectroscopy to Study Molecular Orientation and Order in Heterogeneous Polymer Systems in the third funding period: 2019-2023
Kremer

While the structure of block copolymers was well explored, knowledge concerning their molecular dynamics was sparse. Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) using nano-structured electrode arrangements had proven to be a versatile tool in studying the molecular dynamics in thin homogeneous polymer layers. In the proposed project, it was planned to extend these experiments to nanometer thin layers of block copolymers. By that, the effect of an internal constraint due to micro-phase separation but as well due to an external restriction of the one-dimensional confinement in nanometer thin layers would be unraveled. In the special case of poly(styrene)-blockpoly(isoprene), it was possible to study in the polyisoprene block two processes, the segmental relaxation and a fluctuation of the end-to-end vector. This offered an additional means for studying the molecular dynamics at two different length scales. Special emphasis was given to the interplay between structure and dynamics in the different mesophases of the block copolymers. Furthermore, the impact of appropriate (chemically patterned) surfaces was analyzed.

Highlighted Publications:
  1.  Mapesa, E.U., M. Tress, G. Schulz, H. Huth, C. Schick, M. Reiche, F. Kremer, Segmental and chain dynamics in nanometric layers of poly (cis-1,4-isoprene) as studied by Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy and temperature-modulated Calorimetry, Soft Matter 9 (44), 10592–10598 (2013) 

  2.  Tress, M., E.U. Mapesa, W. Kossack, W.K. Kipnusu, M. Reiche, F. Kremer, Glassy Dynamics in Condensed Isolated Polymer Chains, Science 341 (6152) 1371-1374 (2013) 

  3. Neubauer, N., R. Winkler, M. Tress, P. Uhlmann, M. Reiche, W.K. Kipnusu, F. Kremer,  Glassy dynamics of Poly(2-Vinyl-Pyridine) brushes with varying grafting density, Soft Matter 11, 3062-62015 (2015)