title: Structure and morphology of thin films of linear aliphatic polyesters prepared by spin-coating.
abstract: Thin films, with thicknesses from 10 to 400 nm of linear aliphatic polyesters (X, Y), based on propylenediol (X = 3) and on dicarboxylic acid of different chain length (Y = 2, 3, and 4 CH(2) units) were prepared by spin coating of CHCl(3) polymer solutions with different polymer concentrations. Morphology and structure of the spin coated thin films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and by grazing incidence X-ray scattering techniques at small, (GISAXS) and wide angles (GIWAXS). AFM revealed a strong dewetting for all three polymers for coatings thinner than 100 nm. The polymer films are clearly semicrystalline for thicknesses higher than 50 nm. GIWAXS of the thicker films revealed their oriented crystalline nature. An edge-on-lamellae morphology is clearly shown by the AFM-phase images even for relatively thin films. SAXS with the beam parallel to the sample plane also support the presence of lamellae perpendicular to the substrate. The use of a mu-beam helped to interpret the GIWAXS patterns and allowed to obtain oriented WAXS patterns from melt solidified filaments. Thus, a crystal chain packing is proposed for the three polymers and consequently the indexing of the observed reflections. Accordingly, the polymer chains lie parallel to the substrate being the bc plane of the monoclinic crystal unit cell parallel to the substrate.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: García-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nogales
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ezquerra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soccio
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lotti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munari
mesh_terms: D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers