Structural and thermal behavior of polystyrene thin films using ATR–FTIR–NanoDSC measurements

Paul Bernazzani; Rachel Sanchez

doi:10.1007/s10973-009-0033-4

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Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry

Volume/Issue:: Volume 96: Issue 3

Structural and thermal behavior of polystyrene thin films using ATR–FTIR–NanoDSC measurements

Authors: Paul Bernazzani¹ and Rachel Sanchez¹

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¹ Lamar University Department of Chemistry and Physics PO Box 10022 Beaumont TX 77710 USA

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-009-0033-4

Page Count:: 727–732

Publication Date:: 01 Jun 2009

Online Publication Date:: 10 Jun 2009

Article Category:: Research Article

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Abstract

Most studies report a depression of the glass transition temperature in thin polymer films. To gain insight into this behavior, we have simultaneously investigated the structure of materials and their thermal behavior by developing an ATR–FTIR–nano-differential scanning calorimeter (nanoDSC) hybrid instrument consisting of a ZnSe ATR crystal upon which the sample and a DSC-on-a-chip rests. FTIR spectra showed property changes with film thickness; nanoDSC did not. The relative absorbance of an IR peak at 797 cm⁻¹ was found to correlate with aging time in thin films, suggesting that conformational structure of thin films is critical to their thermal behavior.