Nonequilibrium behavior of polymer nano films cast from different solvents

Abstract

Abstract Properties of materials are largely determined by the processing conditions. This is especially true of polymers, which typically have much longer relaxation times than processing times and therefore possess out-of-equilibrium chain conformations. Here, we demonstrate that the nonequilibrium behavior of polymer nano films can be tuned by controlling the processing pathways. Films cast from different quality of solvents were aged at room temperature for various times, and then carried out the dewetting experiment above the glass transition temperature. The residual stress and relaxation time strongly depend on the quality of the solvents, and the differences may be caused by the boiling point and interaction parameter. This work offered a pathway for preparing a stable nano film, which is crucial for the durability of nanomaterials and devices.