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2D Reflectometry for the investigation of polymer interfaces: off-specular neutron scattering

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Mark GeogheganORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).


Abstract

Specular and off-specular neutron reflectometry have been used in a combined approach to study thin polymer films. Our goal in this work is to illustrate the power of the off-specular scattering technique to probe the properties of the buried interface of immiscible polymer bilayers of deuterated polystyrene and protonated poly(methyl methacrylate) (h-PMMA). The diffuse scattering stemming from these systems is discussed in relation to thermal fluctuations at the polymer/polymer interface, providing a means to extract in-plane correlation lengths from buried interfaces. In addition the onset of hole formation in the top layer is evidenced by the diffuse scattering, not easily detectable by specular reflection alone


Publication metadata

Author(s): Hafner A, Gutfreund P, Toperverg BP, Geoghegan M, Sferrazza M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

Year: 2021

Volume: 33

Issue: 36

Print publication date: 13/09/2021

Online publication date: 13/07/2021

Acceptance date: 18/05/2021

Date deposited: 04/08/2021

ISSN (print): 0953-8984

ISSN (electronic): 1361-648X

Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing

URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/ac0282

DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/ac0282


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
J.0103.17

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