Size and Confinement Effects on the Glass Transition Behavior of Polystyrene/O-Terphenyl Polymer Solutions

Published

March 1, 2000

Author(s)

J K. Park, G B. McKenna

Abstract

Polystyrene(PS)/o-terphenyl (oTP) solutions confined to nano-meter scale pores were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate size and confinement effects on the glass transition. We observed two glass transitions, Tg, in all thermograms for materials confined in the controlled pore glasses (CPG's). One was at a lower temperature than the bulk state T_g and the other was at a higher temperature. The lower transition decreases with decreasing pore size, which is consistent with previous reports from this laboratory on small molecule glass formers and some other reports in similar systems. Although oTP and oTP/PS are not hydrogen bonding materials, we interpret the higher temperature transition as due to the existence of an interacting layer at the pore surface. A two-layer model in which there exists a core liquid in the center surrounded by the interacting layer at the pore surface is consistent with our observations.

Citation

Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)

Volume

61

Issue

No. 10

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

calorimetry, confined geometry, controlled pore glasses, glass transition, nanometer pores, ortho-terphenyl, polymer, solution

Citation

Park, J. and McKenna, G. (2000), Size and Confinement Effects on the Glass Transition Behavior of Polystyrene/O-Terphenyl Polymer Solutions, Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics), [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=851559 (Accessed April 20, 2024)