LOCAL PROPERTIES OF PHASE-SEPARATED POLYMER SURFACES BY FORCE MICROSCOPY

Force microscopy techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), fri ction force microscopy (FFM), and force modulation microscopy (FMM) we re applied to polymer blend and copolymer surfaces to observe phase-se parated structures and distinguish the individual components. We obser ved a continuous phase-separated structure of polystyrene (PS)/polyeth yleneoxide (PEO) polymer blend, a micro-phase-separated structure of s tyrene (S)/butadiene (B) S-B-S-B block copolymer, and islands-sea phas e-separated structures of PS/polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer ble nd and diblock copolymer with AFM. FFM and FMM were applied to PS/PMMA polymer blend and diblock copolymer, and FFM differentiated PS from P MMA.