title: Quantifying adhesion bond parameters to distinguish interactions of hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks of polystyrene-poly-2-vinylpyridine with a silicon nitride surface.
abstract: An analysis of the loading rate dependence of the forces required to rupture an AFM tip from a block copolymer surface has provided insight into the structure of the surface-macromolecule contact, differentiation of the block contacting the tip, a measure of the polymer-surface binding energy, and the rigidity of the contact. Polystyrene-poly-2-vinylpyridine block copolymers were studied adsorbing to silicon nitride. Polystyrene makes stiff van der Waals contact with the silicon nitride surface in aqueous solution, while the bond of poly-2-vinylpyridine to the surface is more flexible and may involve a bridging water.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, Asylum Research, Santa Barbara, California 93117-5550, USA.
authors.forename: Pamela Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bemis
authors.forename: Gilbert C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Walker