RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012

www.PosterPresentations.com

• Investigate molecular vibrational modes related to glass transition in polymers

• Study reduction of glass transition temperature due to polymer film thickness

• Assess accuracy of using Raman spectroscopy in determining glass transition temperature

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

SAMPLE PREPARATION

RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS-Relationships between different vibrational modes may indicate a phase transition-Raman spectroscopy may be used as a tool to determine glass transition temperatures

REFERENCES[1] Liem, H., Cabanillas-Gonzalez, J., Etchegoin, P., & Bradley, D. D. C. (2004). Glass transition temperatures of polymer thin films monitored by Raman scattering. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 16(6), 721–728.[2] Brun, N., Bourson, P., Margueron, S., Duc, M., France, T. P., Carling, U. De, & France, S. A. (2011. Study of the thermal behavior of syndiotactic and atacticpolystyrene by Raman spectroscopy, 4, 1–5.[3] Sears, W. M. (1981). Raman Scattering from Polymerizing styrene. I. Vibrational mode analysis. J. Chem. Phys., 1589.[4] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/SolGel_SpinCoating.jpg[5] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10 Polystyrene_formation.PNG[6] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Raman_energy_levels.svg/350px-Raman_energy_levels.svg.png[7] http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/spectroscopy.html

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like express my greatest gratitude to the individuals who have helped guide me throughout my project. My special thanks is extended to the continual support of Prof. James Forrest and the technical expertise of Mike Wesolowski.

• Spin coat polystyrene onto MICA:

Jeremy Flannery

• Ratio of intensities for peaks at 1001 cm-1

and 1032 cm-1 Raman shift as a function of temperature (280 nm thick film):

• Fitted Raman spectrum of polystyrene at room temperature:

• Raman shift between incident and scattered light:

• C-H tangential in-plane bending mode of aromatic ring (1032 cm-1 peak):

• C-C radial breathing mode in aromatic ring (1001 cm-1 peak):

• Nano-scale polymer film on TEM grid:

-Explore different modal relationships as a function of temperature-Determine effect of glass transition on FWHM, peak area and spectral shift-Find glass transition as a function of film thickness

• Float film onto TEM grid:

FUTURE GOALS

Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Waterloo

A Study of Glass Transitions of Thin PolymerFilms Using Raman Spectroscopy

w 1i

1s

i Incident wavelength

s Scattered wavelength

0.34

0.35

0.36

0.37

0.38

0.39

0.4

0.41

60 70 80 90 100 110 120

Peak Ratio (I

1032/I

1000

1)

Temperature (°C)

IPR 20

13