Glass transition reductions in thin freely-standing polymer films: A scaling analysis of chain confinement effects

In this paper we present a new analysis of data on the reduced glass transi tions observed in thin freely-standing films. The empirical analysis presen ted is highly suggestive of the existence of a mechanism of mobility in thi n freely-standing films that is inhibited in the bulk and distinct from the usual cooperative motion near the glass transition temperature T-g. A tent ative mechanism for T-g reductions in thin freely-standing films is discuss ed.