Springer LINK: The European Physical Journal B - Abstract Volume 3 Issue 3 (1998) pp 365-375

The European Physical Journal B

ISSN: 1434-6028 (printed version)
ISSN: 1434-6036 (electronic version)

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Abstract Volume 3 Issue 3 (1998) pp 365-375

Monolayers of diblock copolymer at the air-water interface: the attractive monomer-surface case

M.C. Fauré (1), P. Bassereau (1), M.A. Carignano (2), I. Szleifer (2), Y. Gallot (3), D. Andelman (4) (a)

(1) Physico-chimie Curie (UMR 168 CNRS-Curie), Institut Curie, 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
(2) Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1393, USA
(3) Institut C. Sadron, 6 rue Boussingault, 67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France
(4) School of Physics and Astronomy, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel

Received: 19 June 1997 / Revised: 2 February 1998 / Accepted: 11 February 1998

Abstract: We have studied both experimentally and theoretically the surface pressure isotherms of copolymers of polystyrene-polyethyleneoxide (PS-PEO) at the air-water interface. The SCMF (single chain mean-field) theory provides a very good agreement with the experiments for the entire range of surface densities and is consistent with the experiments if an adsorption energy per PEO monomer at the air-water interface of about one k_{B T} is taken. In addition, the chain density profile has been calculated for a variety of surface densities, from the dilute to the very dense ones. The SCMF approach has been complemented by a mean-field approach in the low density regime, where the PEO chains act as a two-dimensional layer. Both theoretical calculations agree with the experiments in this region.

PACS. 82.65.Dp Thermodynamics of surfaces and interfaces

(a) email: andelman@post.tau.ac.il

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