Vitrification of monolayers of a polymer brush

The presence of hydrophilic head groups in hydrophobic polymers has a drama tic effect on the ability of the polymer to spread into a smooth monolayer, as does the state of the polymer, i.e., melt or glassy. The influence of t he glass transition on the surface activity of such polymers was measured b y examining polybutylstyrene-N+ as a monolayer spread on a water surface at temperatures above and below its glass transition temperature and by inves tigating the behavior of the monolayer before and after vitrification.