Mobility and glass transition temperature of polymer nanospheres

Chuan Zhang, Virginie M. Boucher, Daniele Cangialosi, Rodney D. Priestley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent studies have illustrated a decoupling between cooperative segmental mobility and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of thin polymer films and nanocomposites. Here, we use dielectric spectroscopy to probe the cooperative segmental mobility and capacitive dilatometry to determine the Tg of films of polystyrene nanospheres with diameters (d) less than 400 nm. We find that both capacitive dilatometry and calorimetry revealed nearly identical suppressions in Tg as the size of the nanospheres was reduced. While Tg was impacted by confinement, in the range 130 nm ≤ d ≤ 400 nm, in stark contrast, the cooperative segmental mobility, i.e., the peak position of the α-relaxation process was not. Furthermore, when d ≤ 200 nm, an additional molecular relaxation process, not observed in bulk, was present. We interpret these findings as evidence of a decoupling between Tg and cooperative segmental mobility in nanospheres. That is, the latter may be impacted by confinement under conditions in which the former is not.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)230-235
Number of pages6
JournalPolymer
Volume54
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 8 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

Keywords

  • Cooperative segmental dynamics
  • Glass transition
  • Nanoparticles

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