Experimental evidence for interplay of dynamic heterogeneity and finite-size effect in glassy polymers

Kandar, AK and Basu, JK (2011) Experimental evidence for interplay of dynamic heterogeneity and finite-size effect in glassy polymers. In: European Physical Journal E (EPJ E), The - Soft Matter, 34 (9).

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Abstract

Despite two decades of extensive research, direct experimental evidence of a dynamical length scale determining the glass transition of confined polymers has yet to emerge. Using a recently established experimental technique of interface micro-rheology we provide evidence of finite-size effect truncating the growth of a quantity proportional to a dynamical length scale in confined glassy polymers, on cooling towards the glass transition temperature. We show how the interplay of variation of polymer film thickness and this temperature-dependent growing dynamical length scale determines the glass transition temperature, which in our case of 2-3nm thick films, is reduced significantly as compared to their bulk values.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	European Physical Journal E (EPJ E), The - Soft Matter
Publisher:	Springer
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Springer.
Department/Centre:	Division of Physical & Mathematical Sciences > Physics
Date Deposited:	04 Nov 2011 09:55
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2011 09:55
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/41834

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