By polymer conformation we refer
to the structure of a single polymer. A polymer surrounded by
identical polymers will adopt a random coil conformation. In a
thin film a random walk conformation may still be possible but
the polymer may not adopt such a structure. The conformation of
confined polymers should affect various materially important
properties such as the crystallisation, the glass transition of
the film, or its stability from dewetting,
We shall use various scanning
probe techniques (e.g. AFM) or x-ray scattering to study
crystallisation; optical and scanning probe techniques to study
conformational effects on dewetting; neutron reflection to study
the interface between different pairs of confined layers. Linking
these aspects will be molecular dynamics simulations.
More details:
Professor Michele
Sferrazza at the Université Libre de Bruxelles is in
overall charge of this element of the programme.
