Interpenetrating polymer network for nanostructured coating

Synthesizing thin films on solid substrates with predictable and adjustable properties is a very challenging task. Commonly used methods like spin- and drop-coating results in films with low organization and low control of the properties. Nowadays, thin films of polymers are increasingly developed to overcome these issues. One way to prepare thin films of polymers is by depositing them on an aqueous subphase at a well- defined density and structure and subsequently transfer them to a solid material. Such thin polymer films with designed properties has a wide variety of applications such as support in tissue engineering, protective layer in chemically aggressive environment or anti-biofouling film in biomedical devices. To provide improved and versatile properties to the coating often mixtures of two polymers are used. The aim of the current proposal is to study the behavior of mixtures of polymers as a function of the hydrophobicity of the polymers and the packing density on the water surface. We will look at the macroscopic morphology with Brewster angle microscopy and the molecular organization with surface sensitive infrared spectroscopy. Subsequently, we will cross-link the polymers with the aim to synthesize two dimensional interpenetrating networks. In the final step, the so obtained two dimensional networks will be transferred to a solid substrate and the layers will be characterized in morphology, molecular scale organization and wetting properties. As such, we hope to be able to design nanocoatings with designed properties. In France under the guidance of Sophie Cantin and Alae El Haitami the thermodynamic and morphologic characterization will be performed, while in Austria in the group of Ellen Backus molecular level organization will be obtained by the surface sensitive spectroscopy sum frequency generation. The experimental team is supported by the theoretician Elian Masnada located in France who is working on modelling of polymer blends thermodynamic properties.