Formation of Ultrathin Polystyrene Films Using a Two-Step Deposition/Polymerization Process
Document Type
Article
Subject Area(s)
Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
Abstract
Thin polystyrene films were formed on polycrystalline platinum by styrene deposition followed by UV-initiated polymerization under cryogenic, ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments showed that styrene chemisorbs weakly on the Pt surface. In the temperature region of 115−145 K, the adsorbed styrene films undergo a crystallization process that can be described by the Avrami equation. The polymerization rate increased with incident UV intensity, as expected, but was found to decrease with increasing temperature, most likely the result of competition between crystallization and polymerization. Ex-situ analysis of the resulting polystyrene films showed that high molecular weight polymer is formed. Finally, it is shown that the thickness can be reproducibly controlled by controlling the initial monomer dosage.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Macromolecules, Volume 34, Issue 5, 2001, pages 1214-1220.
Rights
© Macromolecules, 2001, American Chemical Society
APA Citation
Bai, J., Snively, C., Delgass, N.W., Lauterbach, A.J. (2001). Formation of ultra-thin polystyrene films using a two-step deposition/polymerization process. Macromolecules, 34(5), 1214-1220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma0012999