Thin Functional Polymer Films by Electropolymerization

Dewetting of thin polymer films.

We study the dewetting of thin polymer films deposited on slippery substrate. Recent experiments on these systems have revealed many unexpected features. We develop here a model that takes into account the rheological properties of polymer melts, focussing on two dewetting geometries (the receding of a straight edge, and the opening of a hole). We show that the friction law associated with the ...

Semiconducting polymer thin films by surface-confined stepwise click polymerization.

Surface-confined stepwise click polymerization was used to prepare surface-attached thin films of semiconducting polymers. These highly uniform films showed extended UV/vis absorption characteristics and a remarkable degree of molecular organization with a unidirectional alignment of the polymer chains normal to the surface.

Patterning dewetting in thin polymer films by spatially directed photocrosslinking.

In this report we examine the dewetting of spin-cast poly (styrene) films in a confined geometry. We designed a platform for laterally confining PS by photo-patterning crosslinks in spin-coated thin films. Heating the patterned film above the glass transition temperature of PS results in localized dewetting patterns in regions that were not crosslinked, while the crosslinked pattern serves as a...

Electrohydrodynamic Instabilities in Thin Polymer Films

Capillary wrinkling of floating thin polymer films.

A freely floating polymer film, tens of nanometers in thickness, wrinkles under the capillary force exerted by a drop of water placed on its surface. The wrinkling pattern is characterized by the number and length of the wrinkles. The dependence of the number of wrinkles on the elastic properties of the film and on the capillary force exerted by the drop confirms recent theoretical predictions ...