Conformation of intramolecularly cross-linked polymer nanoparticles on solid substrates.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 16159209.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
The conformation of cross-linked, monomolecular, polystyrene nanoparticles on a solid substrate is considered as a function of cross-linking degree and substrate surface free energy. It is found that an extreme amount of cross-linking is necessary for the ca. 5-10 nm diameter nanoparticles to retain their original spherical shape, regardless of surface free energy. A lesser amount of cross-linking produces a nanoparticle that collapses to a pancake-like conformation on a high-energy substrate yet remains spherical on a low-energy surface. A simple model is developed to reveal the relationship between nanoparticle modulus and surface free energy to define the nanoparticle conformation.