Molecular Basis of Adhesion
Abstract
The goal of this project was to identify links between the molecular structure of adhesive interfaces and the mechanical strength of adhesive bonds. The nonlinear spectroscopic tool of vibrationally resonant sum-frequency generation (VR-SFG) provides interfacial specificity and was the primary technique used for probing relevant interfaces, although some aspects of the technique needed refined. VR-SFG spectra contain a nonresonant contribution that can mask and distort the resonant features, which convey the detailed molecular information. A new methodology was developed that exploits time-domain aspects of the VR-SFG process to properly suppress the nonresonant contribution and ensure that the parameters determined from spectral analysis are physically meaningful. The nonresonant contribution, however, does contain some useful information. For polystyrene, the nonresonant signal increased when samples were aged or annealed. It was also shown that plasma treatment of polystyrene thin films on conducting substrates led to at least partial alignment of molecules in the bulk polymer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 22, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA567127
Entities
People
- James E. Patterson
Organizations
- Brigham Young University