Tuning the Relaxation of Nanopatterned Polymer Films with Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles: Observation of Entropy-Enthalpy Compensation.

ABSTRACT: Polymer films provide a versatile platform in which complex functional relief patterns can be thermally imprinted with a resolution down to few nanometers. However, a practical limitation of this method is the tendency for the imprinted patterns to relax ("slump"), leading to loss of pattern fidelity over time. While increasing temperature above glass transition temperature ( T_g) accelerates the slumping kinetics of neat films, we find that the addition of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNP) can greatly enhance the thermal stability of these patterns. Specifically, increasing the concentration of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) grafted titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles in the composite films slows down film relaxation dynamics, leading to enhanced pattern stabil

SUBMITTER: Bhadauriya S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6537094 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature