Nanoconfinement of polymer films below thicknesses of ~100 to 1000 nm frequently produces noticeable changes to the dynamic properties of the polymer. Despite thirty years of active research, the fundamental underpinnings of this confinement effect are still lacking. Since the 1990s when the confinement effect was first reported, Prof. Thomas Russell has been a pioneer of polymer dynamics near interfaces and under confinement. His pioneering results have shown that interfaces can perturb the nearby dynamics profoundly, which can in turn lead to large changes in the dynamic properties of polymer films. To date, that idea has become a cornerstone of the confinement effect. However, it is still unclear how the two interfaces of a film combine to produce the dynamics observed from the films. To celebrate Prof. Russell’s outstanding career, I will talk about how his early results have shaped our understanding on this important question<b>.</b> Focus will be given to the insights gained from the effective viscosity measurements, where effects of the substrate and free surfaces are separable and can thus be studied individually. Cases where the dynamics at one surface is modified by the opposite one will be emphasized to highlight the need to consider the interplay between the effects of the two surfaces to fully understand the dynamics of polymer nanofilms.

Dynamics of polymer nanofilms: Effects of the substrate and free surfaces and their interplay

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ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.