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Kinetics Of Preferential Adsorption And Equilibrium Properties Of Interfacial Layers Formed From Polymer Chains That Tether By Multiple Ends, Jose Alonzo Calderon
Kinetics Of Preferential Adsorption And Equilibrium Properties Of Interfacial Layers Formed From Polymer Chains That Tether By Multiple Ends, Jose Alonzo Calderon
All Dissertations
Due to their ability to straddle phase boundaries, polymer brushes represent a model system for studies of polymer-modified surfaces. The research presented in this dissertation focuses on understanding a special type of polymer brushes formed at the solid-fluid interface by self-assembly of block copolymer chains that have the ability to tether by multiple ends, thus creating loops on the surface. Specifically, I study the self-assembly of a series of poly(2-vinylpyridine)-polystyrene-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PVP-b-PS-b-PVP) triblock copolymers and PVP-b-PS star block copolymers adsorbed from the selective solvent toluene onto silicon and mica surfaces. The triblock and star copolymers have different molecular weights and PS/PVP …