Chemical structure and growth law of micrometric phases in poly(styrene-b-t-butyl acrylate) Langmuir Blodgett films

The assembly behaviour of amphiphilic poly(styrene)-block-poly(t-butyl acrylate) block copolymer at air/water interface has been studied in view of its ability to form condensed phases. The film, transferred by Horizontal Precipitation Langmuir-Blodgett method without modifications, has been studied. Chemical imaging unravels the orientation of the condensed phases and, once defined their chemical orientation, the morphology of the block copolymer film and the pressure-induced growth processes have been investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy. Micelles and flat regions, 1 nm thick, were found. The micelles growth mechanism is interpreted as a coalescence process, allowing to predict the pressure-induced evolution of the chemical microphases.