The structural dynamics of ultrathin polymer films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) capped between aluminum electrodes have been investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. A deviation from bulk behavior, appearing as an increase of the relaxation time at a fixed temperature, is observed for films of thickness below 35 nm. The slowing down acts as a constant shift factor independent from the temperature, and the fragility is constant. The interfacial energy between aluminum and poly(ethylene terephthalate) is calculated to be 3 mJ/m2, confirming a strong interaction between polymer and substrate, which leads to the presence of a layer characterized by a reduced mobility at their interfaces. We proposed a mathematical schematization of a multylayer model that allowed qualitative reproduction of the observed thickness dependences of the static and dynamic properties. In terms of such a model, the upper limit for the thickness of the reduced mobility layer was estimated as 20 nm. The conditions to extend the proposed model to different observables are finally suggested.
Titolo: | Influence of a Reduced Mobility Layer on the Structural Relaxation Dynamics of Aluminum Capped Ultrathin Films of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) | |
Autori: | ||
Data di pubblicazione: | 2007 | |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la062229j | |
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11384/12700 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |