Organization of an Amphiphilic Graft Copolymer at the Air−Water Interface: A Neutron Reflectometry Study

From Homogeneous to Segregated Structure of Poly(dimethylsiloxane)/Cellulose Derivative Mixed Langmuir Films Depending on Composition: An in Situ Neutron Reflectivity Study

The mixing behavior of deuterated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSd) and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) spread as Langmuir films at the air-water interface was studied by means of surface pressure-area isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) observations, and in situ neutron reflectivity. The contrast variation method was used with different D2O/H2O mixtures as subphase, allowing contrast matching to either CAB, PDMSd, or PDMSd/CAB mixed film if homogeneous. At PDMSd volume fractions Φ lower than 0.6, the mixed film is a homogeneous monolayer throughout the film compression, in agreement with the monophasic film observed by BAM and the attractive interactions between PDMSd and CAB evidenced from the isotherm measurements. In contrast, at PDMSd volume fractions Φ higher than 0.6, a vertically segregated structure of the mixed film is highlighted. Indeed, whatever the surface pressure, a bilayer structure is observed with a PDMSd layer in contact with the air over a thin CAB layer in contact with the subphase. These results show that the structure of the film is mainly driven by the PDMSd volume fraction which allows obtaining either a homogeneous membrane which composition can be tuned or a vertically segregated system. In contrast, only the thickness of the layers varies with the surface pressure while the structure of the film is not affected.

Interactions between hen egg-white lysozyme, PEG2,000, and PLA50 at the air–water interface

In this paper, we compared the efficiency of polymer films, made of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG2,000)/poly(d,l-lactide) (PLA50) mixture, or a PEG2,000-PLA50 copolymer, to prevent adsorption of a model protein, the hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL), at the air-water interface. This was achieved by analyzing the surface pressure/surface area curves, and the X-ray reflectivity data of the polymer films spread on a Langmuir trough, obtained in absence or in presence of the protein. For both the mixture and the copolymer, the amount of protein adsorbed at the air-water interface decreases when the density of the polymer surface coverage increases. It was shown that even in a condensed state, the polymer film made by the mixture can not totally prevent HEWL molecules to adsorb and penetrate the polymer mixed film, but however, protein molecules would not be directly exposed to the more hydrophobic phase, i.e. the air phase. It was also shown that the configuration adopted by the copolymer at the interface in its condensed state would prevent adsorption of HEWL molecules for several hours; this would be due in particular to the presence of PEG segments in the interfacial film.

Nanostructure of a "carpet"-like dense layer/polyelectrolyte brush layer in a block copolymer monolayer at the air-water interface

The "carpet"/brush double layer structure in the polyelectrolyte layer in the amphiphilic diblock copolymer monolayer at the air-water interface was quantitatively studied by in situ neutron reflectometry in addition to X-ray reflectivity measurements. As a result of the higher contrast between polyelectrolyte [poly(methacrylic acid)] and solvent (D(2)O) for the neutron, the brush structure could be estimated more accurately as a function of surface pressure, that is, brush density. The thickness of the carpet layer, which is thought to be formed to reduce the interfacial free energy between water and the hydrophobic layer, was almost constant at 10-20 A at any surface pressure studied. Growth was clearly observed in the whole brush length with increasing surface pressure, and it was estimated to be almost 60% of the full-stretch length of the ionic polymer chain. Furthermore, by the comparison of density profiles by neutron and X-ray reflectometry, an anomalous hydration was suggested.