Solvent annealing of poly(styrene-b-tert-butylacrylate) thin films: Effect of casting and annealing solvent on morphology

POLY 128

Melvina Leolukman, leolukman@wisc.edu1, Young-Hye La, yna@wisc.edu2, Paul F. Nealey, nealey@engr.wisc.edu2, and Padma Gopalan3. (1) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 engineering drive, Madison, WI 53706, (2) Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706, (3) Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706
Morphology of asymmetric poly(styrene-b-tert-butylacrylate) [P(S-b-tBA)] thin film was investigated via solvent annealing. The effect of casting solvent, annealing solvent and annealing time were examined by Transmission Electron Microscope. Two different casting solvents, toluene and propylene glycol monomethyl ester acetate (PGMEA), were used in this study along with two annealing solvents namely, p-xylene and tBA. Casting solvent was found to have a dominating effect on the morphology. The samples cast from toluene solution led to perforated lamella followed by parallel cylinder morphology, while the film cast from PGMEA solution formed perpendicular cylinders followed by parallel cylinders irrespective of the annealing solvents (p-xylene and tBA). Use of p-xylene as an annealing solvent for the P(S-b-tBA) films resulted in a kinetically faster evolution of morphology compared with tBA vapor.
 

General Papers: Polymers in Nanotechnology
6:00 PM-8:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Sci-Mix

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006