A. I. Buzin

Melting of polyether block amide (Pebax): the effect of stretching

We report results of a DSC study of the influence of stretching on the processes of melting of blocks in copolyetheramide based on polytetramethyleneoxyde and polyamide-12 (PA-12). It has been found that uniaxial stretching of the film brings significant changes to the PTMO block and has almost no influence on the thermal characteristics of PA-12. The melting of PTMO acquires multiplet character. The melting peaks are shifted to the region of higher temperatures and their areas are redistributed with an increase in the degree of deformation. It has been found the degree of crystallinity of PTMO increases under stress.

Surface morphology of poly(cyano-p-xylylene) thin films

The surface morphology of poly(cyano-p-xylylene) thin films of different thicknesses (25–1500 nm or more than 5 µm) that were synthesized by vapor-deposition polymerization on the substrate surface in the temperature range from −22 to +35°C has been studied by atomic force microscopy. The surface topography is quantified through analysis of the height-height correlation function. The surface of all films is characterized by a similar granular morphology with a transverse size of granules of 50–500 nm. The surface morphology changes with the polymerization temperature (the substrate temperature) and the film thickness. The effect of film annealing on its surface morphology is considered. It has been established that annealing at 200°C leads to a change in the surface morphology of the films.

Morphology of ultrathin polymer films based on poly(ethylene oxide) blends

The structure of ultrathin (15–200 nm) films of two types prepared from polymer blends based on PEO (the crystallizable component), namely, PEO-poly(arylene sulfone oxide) (the amorphous component) and PEO-PB (the amorphous component), has been studied by atomic force microscopy. The content of PEO in both blends is 76 wt %. Ultrathin blend films have been applied on a Si substrate via substrate dipping into dilute solutions of polymer blends in chloroform at room temperature. The rate of the substrate lift has been varied from 0.1 to 1 mm/min. The amorphous-amorphous separation takes place during formation of ultrathin films of the above blends in the course of the substrate lift at the stage of gelation. The crystallization of PEO and dewetting in the resulting two-phase blend gels depend on the rate of the substrate lift and the rigidity of macromolecules of the amorphous component. Moreover, the predominant interaction of the substrate with one of the components plays a significant role in structure formation of ultrathin films of both polymer blends.

Self-organizing silane-siloxane copolymers: Synthesis and behavior in the block and monomolecular layers

Trans tactic cyclolinear organosilicon copolymers with a regular alternation of decamethylcyclohexasiloxane and decamethylcyclosilane units have been synthesized by the heterofunctional polycondensation of trans-2,8-dihydroxydecamethylcyclohexasiloxane with 1,3-or 1,4-dichlorodecamethylcyclohexasilanes. The structure of the copolymers has been studied by 1H and 29Si NMR, and IR spectroscopy; molecular mass measurements; and elemental analysis. The phase behavior of these copolymers in the block has been examined by DSC, X-ray diffraction, and polarization optical microscopy. It has been demonstrated that the copolymers of interest may exist in the mesomorphic state within a wide temperature interval. The ability of cyclolinear organosilicon copolymers to spread at the water/air interface and to form monolayers has been investigated. It has been shown that cyclosilane units that are structural isomers affect the pattern of surface pressure isotherms of the said copolymers.

Self-organizing cyclolinear methylcyclohexasiloxane polymers carrying reactive vinyl groups

Atactic cyclolinear organosilicon polymers containing vinyl substituents in RSiO1.5, R2SiO or both moieties have been synthesized through the heterofunctional polycondensation of trans,cis-2,8-dihydroxymethyl(vinyl)cyclohexasiloxanes with 2,8-dichloromethyl(vinyl)cyclohexasiloxanes. The structure of the polymers has been studied by 1H and 29Si NMR and IR spectroscopy, molecular mass measurements, and elemental analysis. The phase behavior of these copolymers in the bulk has been examined by DSC, X-ray diffraction, and polarization optical microscopy. It has been shown that the copolymer can exist in the mesomorphic state in the temperature range from −100 to +200°C. The X-ray data indicate changes in the interlayer spacing and the type of packing of cyclolinear poly(methylvinylsiloxanes) with an increase in the content of vinyl substituents in the repeating units of the polymer. The ability of cyclolinear poly(methylvinylsiloxanes) to spread over the water/air interface and to form mono-and multilayers has been investigated. As the content of vinyl substituents in the polymer unit is increased to two or four, the ability of polymers to form multilayers is preserved. The incorporation of vinyl substituents into RSiO1.5 or R2SiO moieties of polymer units is accompanied by the formation of monolayers.