title: Self-assembly in evaporated polymer solutions: influence of the solution concentration.
abstract: Amorphous polymers were dissolved in chlorinated organic solvents and deposited on thin horizontal substrates. The solutions with various concentrations of polymers were deposited and evaporated under ambient conditions in a slow air current. Self-assembled oriented mesoscopically scaled patterns were observed. The patterns were studied with optical and atomic force microscopy. The concentration of the solution exerts a decisive influence on the mesoscopic cell characteristic dimension. Cell dimensions grow linearly with the polymer solution concentration for all kinds of tested polymers, chlorinated solvents and substrates. The dependence could be explained by a physical mechanism, based on the mass transport instability occurring under the intensive evaporation of the solvent. In situ FTIR study of the process was performed first. It was established with FTIR spectroscopy that film porosity is not due to water droplet condensation under evaporation.
authors.affiliation: The College of Judea and Samaria, The Research Institute, 44837 Ariel, Israel. edward@yosh.ac.il
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bormashenko
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pogreb
authors.forename: Albina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Musin
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stanevsky
authors.forename: Yelena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bormashenko
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Whyman
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gendelman
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Barkay