Lamellar crystals and the behavior of molecular chains in the monolayers of crystalline polymers grafted onto solid substrates

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K03775
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 13040:Biophysics, chemical physics and soft matter physics-related
• Research Institution: Kanagawa University
• Principal Investigator: Ikehara Takayuki 神奈川大学, 工学部, 教授 (90242015)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 犬束 学 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 機能化学部門, 研究員 (70735852)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 固体表面 / グラフト鎖 / 表面自由エネルギー / 結晶化速度 / 融点 / 単分子膜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The crystallization and structure formation of crystalline polymers end-grafted to solid substrates were investigated and compared with those of unbound thin films to reveal the nature of crystalline grafted chains. The crystal growth rate of grafted films was faster than that of thin films. Regime transition was found to occur in grafted films. The surface free energies of the lamellar folding and side surfaces (σe and σs) were determined from the results of the crystallization kinetics and melting processes. The values of σs were larger and those of σe were smaller for grafted films than for thin films. This may be due to the fact that the lamellar folding of grafted chains is more disordered in grafted films than in thin films because the molecules are less mobile in grafted films, and that the lamellar side surfaces in grafted films are in contact with the atmosphere more than in thin films.

Free Research Field

高分子物性

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年ナノテクノロジーの発展により、ナノメートル領域における物質の挙動が注目されている。本研究は固体表面上に存在する厚さ10 nm程度の高分子膜に関する研究である。本研究の成果は、固体表面に高分子膜をコーティングする際のコーティングの安定性の評価、作製条件の設定、表面の機能制御などに波及することが期待できる。