Application of (automated) atomic force microscopy to combinatorial polymer materials research

Scanning probe microscopy was combined with combinatorial techniques to study of the morphol. of polymer blends and metallo-supramol. block copolymer libraries. Morphol. and cond. measurements of carbon black / poly(dimethylsiloxane) composites demonstrated the relation between sample prepn., morphol., and material properties. Phase sepn. was studied of a metallo-supramol. block copolymer library based on terpyridine-functionalized polystyrene - Ru terpyridine - poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer. By varying the block length of the polyoxyalkylene blocks and their vol. ratio, the whole range of thin film morphologies were obsd., from lamellar to spherical phase sepn.