Atomic-force microscopy of submicron films of electroactive polymer

Abstract

Atomic-force microscopy is used to study the supramolecular structure of submicron films of electroactive thermally stable polymer (polydiphenylenephthalide (PDP)). It has been demonstrated that PDP films produced using centrifuging are solid homogeneous films with thicknesses down to several nanometers, which correspond to two or three monomolecular layers. The film volume is structurized at thicknesses greater than 100 nm. The study of the rheological properties of solutions used for film production yields a crossover point that separates the domains of strongly diluted and semidiluted solutions. A transition from the globular structure to the associate structure is observed in films that are produced using solutions with a boundary concentration. A model of the formation of polymer film that involves the presence of associates in the original solution is discussed.