title: Molecular View on Supramolecular Chain and Association Dynamics.
abstract: The chain and association dynamics of supramolecular polymer ensembles decisively determines their properties. Using neutron spin echo (NSE) spectroscopy we present molecular insight into the space and time evolution of this dynamics. Studying a well characterized ensemble of linearly associating telechelic poly(ethylene glycol) melts carrying triple H-bonding end groups, we show that H-bond breaking significantly impacts the mode spectrum of the associates. The breaking affects the mode contributions and not the relaxation times as was assumed previously. NSE spectra directly reveal the so far intangible H-bond lifetimes in the supramolecular melt and demonstrate that for both the microscopic and the macroscopic dynamics of the supramolecular ensemble the instantaneous average of the M_{w} distribution governs the system response at least as long as the Rouse picture applies.
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monkenbusch
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krutyeva
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pyckhout-Hintzen
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Antonius
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hövelmann
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allgaier
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brás
authors.affiliation: Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farago
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wischnewski
authors.affiliation: Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richter