Polymer Dewetting on Rubber Elastic Substrates
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
I'm a new PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization funded by the Marie Curie Research Training Network (RTN) “Polyfilm”. Originally I'm from Athens, Greece, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Physics. After graduation I continued my studies in Rome, Italy, where I received my Master’s degree in Materials Science from the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in collaboration with the Universitites of Rome “La Sapienza” and “Tor Vergata”. Accomplishing my Master’s degree I was offered a Marie Curie fellowship at the Chemistry Department of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, where I worked for one year.
During my PhD studies I will be based in the Department for Complex Fluids Dynamics of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen. I will receive training in experimental techniques including scanning probe microscopy, optical microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. Through interactions with other MPI members and participation in the internal seminar series, I will gain a broad knowledge of the dynamics behavior of complex fluids. Interactions with other network members will provide additional training, enabling me to strengthen my expertise in confined polymer films. I will attend weekly meetings with my supervisors, that will enable us to monitor my progress and ensure that I successfully complete my PhD thesis within three years.
The general aim of this project is to study the various properties, effects, mutual influences and dependencies of thin polymer films (de-) wetting rubber elastic substrates. This will be achieved by using a combination of different, but complementary experimental techniques that range from optical techniques through scanning probe techniques. Experiments will be used to test theory and computer simulation.
The specific scientific objectives for the fellow will be to use appropriate experimental techniques (Atomic Force Microscopy, ellipsometry, optical and confocal laser scanning microscopy) in order to study the wetting properties of thin polymer films on soft, rubber elastic substrates. Of particular interest will be focusing on the factors that affect the glass transition when going from bulk to thin films. For doing so the fellow will use the above mentioned techniques in order to monitor the dewetting of the polymer thin film with the changing of various critical factors such as chain length, dewetting temperature and substrate elasticity.
