Surface-directed spinodal decomposition modified by a surface active copolymer

¹ Institute of Physics, Jagellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
² Surface Spectroscopy Laboratory, Joint Center for Chemical Analysis and Structural Research, Jagellonian University, Reymonta 23, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
³ University of Mining and Metallurgy, al. Mickiewicza 39, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
⁴ Fakultät für Physik, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
⁵ Department of Polymer Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyoto University Kyoto 606, Japan

Corresponding author: ufbudkow@cyf-kr.edu.pl

Received: 5 June 1997
Accepted: 13 October 1997

Abstract

We have studied the surface-induced spinodal decomposition in thin films of deuterated and protonated polystyrene, using nuclear-reaction analysis and dynamic secondary-ion mass spectroscopy. We found that the amplitude of this process may be modified by a polyisoprene-polystyrene diblock copolymer, which segregates predominantly to the surface when admixed to the isotopic polystyrene blend. This is due to the reduced surface attraction of deuterated polystyrene for the increased surface coverage by diblocks. Finally, the surface directed mode of the spinodal decomposition is observed to be extinct for the surface completely covered by copolymers.