On the Interfacial Behavior of Catenated Poly(l-lactide) at the Air-Water Interface

Langmuir. 2022 Aug 16;38(32):9751-9759. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00454. Epub 2022 Aug 3.

Abstract

Interfacial properties of polymeric materials are significantly influenced by their architectural structures and spatial features, while such a study of topologically interesting macromolecules is rarely reported. In this work, we reported, for the first time, the interfacial behavior of catenated poly(l-lactide) (C-PLA) at the air-water interface and compared it with its linear analogue (L-PLA). The isotherms of surface pressure-area per repeating unit showed significant interfacial behavioral differences between the two polymers with different topologies. Isobaric creep experiments and compression-expansion cycles also showed that C-PLA demonstrated higher stability at the air-water interface. Interestingly, when the films at different surface pressures were transferred via the Langmuir-Blodgett method, successive atomic force microscopy imaging displayed distinct nanomorphologies, in which the surface of C-PLA exhibited nanofibrous structures, while that of the L-PLA revealed a smoother topology with less fiber-like structures.

MeSH terms

  • Air*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Polyesters / chemistry
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Surface Properties
  • Water* / chemistry

Substances

  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Water
  • poly(lactide)