Blowing bubbles in PMMA with the SEM

POLY 636

Jürgen Kraut1, Renate Hiesgen1, Liehui Ge2, and John Texter, jtexter@emich.edu2. (1) Department of Physics, Fachhochschule Esslingen, Germany, Esslingen, Germany, (2) College of Technology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Microemulsion polymerization has been used to prepare nanocomposites of surfactant (AOT, bis[2-ethylhexyl]sulfosuccinate, sodium salt) and of surfactant and water in PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate). Scanning electron microscopy rastering induces an interesting type of beam damage that may have utility in e-beam writing of PMMA lithographic plates. The activated electrons appear to induce depolymerization of the PMMA into the constituent monomers, by the unzipping mechanism, well know to occur thermally. The partial vacuum and the surfactant content of the nanocomposites material results in bubble-like growths that eventually burst, to give a type of surface damage that resembles elbow macaroni, and promises to be a sump for printing fluids by virtue of the inherent capillarity of the tubules produced.
 

Imaging Techniques for the Characterization of Polymers and Polymer-Derived Materials
8:00 AM-12:35 PM, Thursday, August 23, 2007 Westin Boston Waterfront -- Otis, Oral

Division of Polymer Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007