Statistical Topography of Glassy Interfaces

Metastable states and activated dynamics in thin-film adhesion to patterned surfaces.

We consider adhesion due to London-van der Waals attraction between a thin film and a patterned surface with nanometer asperities. Depending on the surface topography and the stiffness of the film, three regimes of adhesion are identified: complete contact adhesion, partial contact adhesion, and glassy adhesion. For complete contact adhesion, the film conforms to the undulations of the surface,...

Polymer entanglement density and its influence on interfacial friction.

The entanglement density of amorphous glassy polymers is well known to control their fracture mechanisms under tensile loading. There have been some reports indicating substantial deformation of a glassy polymer's surface region when exposed to interfacial friction. It is shown conclusively here that there is a direct correlation between the entanglement density of a glassy polymer and the defo...

Observation of a Characteristic Length Scale in the Healing of Glassy Polymer Interfaces

In situ PM-IRRAS of a glassy carbon electrode/deep eutectic solvent interface.

The interface of a 1 : 2 molar choline chloride/ethylene glycol deep eutectic solvent with a glassy carbon electrode has been investigated by polarization modulation reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS). Temporal spectral changes at open circuit potential show the experiments to be surface sensitive and indicate slow adsorption of electrolyte molecules on the electrode surface. In situ...

Nanotribology on a polymer network film

Scanning force microscopy ~SFM! of topography, frictional force, and stiffness on thin gelatin films reveals an entire spectrum of tribological behavior. Images display two distinct phases of gelatin whose characteristics relate to the degree of crystallinity. Dissimilar regimes of velocityand load-dependent friction and wear on each phase indicate glassy, rubbery, or melt behavior. Of fundamen...