Abstract
Synchrotron X-ray reflectivity (XRR) shows significant differences between the ordering in thin films of diphenyl-based siloxane oligomers with single versus double backbones of -Si-O- repeating groups. We show that the more restricted conformational arrangement of twofold-skeleton molecules results in a higher degree of molecular ordering indicated by 2-2.5 times higher value of intensity of the corresponding Bragg peak in thin solid films of poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) than in films of poly(diphenylsiloxane), regardless of the solvent used for film casting. In both cases, the ordered molecules are located within 40-50 Å of the substrate surface. The results indicate unambiguously that the chain stiffness of siloxanes governs the degree of ordering in the restricted geometry of the interfacial region.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7163-7168 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Polymer |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 24 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 16 2007 |
Funding
This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation under grant no. DMR-0705137. XRR measurements were performed at beam line X23B of the National Synchrotron Light Source, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Keywords
- Interfacial ordering
- Molecular rigidity
- Thin films
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Organic Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Materials Chemistry