Suppression of Segmental Chain Dynamics on a Particle’s Surface in Well-Dispersed Polymer Nanocomposites
Date
2024-06-18
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ACS Macro Letters
Abstract
The Rouse dynamics of polymer chains in model nanocomposite polyethylene oxide/silica nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated using quasielastic neutron scattering. The apparent Rouse rate of the polymer chains decreases as the particle loading increases. However, there is no evidence of an immobile segment population on the probed time scale of tens of ps. The slowing down of the dynamics is interpreted in terms of modified Rouse models for the chains in the NP interphase region. Thus, two chain populations, one bulk-like and the other characterized by a suppression of Rouse modes, are identified. The spatial extent of the interphase region is estimated to be about twice the adsorbed layer thickness, or ≈2 nm. These findings provide a detailed description of the suppression of the chain dynamics on the surface of NPs. These results are relevant insights on surface effects and confinement and provide a foundation for the understanding of the rheological properties of polymer nanocomposites with well-dispersed NPs.
Description
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Macro Letters, copyright © 2024 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00168. This article will be embargoed until 06/18/2025.
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Citation
Kim, Jihyuk, Benjamin R. Thompson, Taiki Tominaga, Takahito Osawa, Takeshi Egami, Stephan Förster, Michael Ohl, Erkan Senses, Antonio Faraone, and Norman J. Wagner. “Suppression of Segmental Chain Dynamics on a Particle’s Surface in Well-Dispersed Polymer Nanocomposites.” ACS Macro Letters 13, no. 6 (June 18, 2024): 720–25. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00168.