Tailoring pore distribution in polymer films via evaporation induced phase separation.

ABSTRACT: By considering a mixture of poly(methyl methacrylate)-tetrahydrofuran-water (PMMA-THF-H₂O), we report an experimental approach to tune the distribution of pores in polymer films formed via evaporation induced phase separation (EIPS). We show that the drying induced composition and microstructural changes that occur due to the evaporation of the solvent (THF) and the nonsolvent (H₂O) delineate the ultimate polymer film morphology. The temporal evolution of the microstructure, the phase behavior and the change in the composition of the PMMA-THF-H₂O mixture at air-solution (top surface) and solution-substrate (bottom surface) interfaces is monitored to provide insights into the origin of the pore distribution in the final polymer films. The effects of v

SUBMITTER: Pervin R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9064270 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature