Spinodal clustering in thin films of nanoparticle-polymer mixtures.
Thin supported polystyrene-C(60) fullerene mixtures annealed above their glass transition temperature develop spinodal surface undulations which depend on film thickness h(20-500  nm), polymer molecular mass M(w), temperature, and time t. The dominant wavelength λ ∼1-10  μm scales linearly with h and coarsening kinetics follow λ∼t{α}, with 0< α(h) < 1/3; the morphology eventually pins at long times. This spinodal surface excitation contrasts with dewetting suppression and film stability observed in low -M(w) polymers and results from the interplay of binary miscibility and fullerene substrate attraction.
Wong
Him Cheng
HC
Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
Cabral
João T
JT