Viscoelastic property enhancement of polymethylmethacrylate molecularly confined within 3D nanostructures

• Published in: European polymer journal Vol. 214; p. 113181
• Main Authors: Martín-de León, J., Pura, J.L., Rodríguez-Méndez, M.L., Rodríguez-Pérez, M.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 24.06.2024
• Subjects: Amplitude modulation–frequency modulation atomic force microscopy; Confined polymethylmethacrylate; Loss tangent; Mechanical property; Nanocellular polymer; Three-dimensional polymer confinement; Three-dimensional polymer confinement; Confined polymethylmethacrylate; Mechanical property; Amplitude modulation–frequency modulation atomic force microscopy; Loss tangent; Nanocellular polymer
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2024.113181

[Display omitted] •Mechanical properties of 3D nanoscale confined polymers are measured using AM-FM.•Nanoporous PMMA having pores with walls as thin as 7 nm is produced.•Young’s modulus is up to three times higher in 3D structures than in the solid.•3D nanostructures have reduced molecular mobility as indicated by the loss tangent.•Polymer 3D confinement hinders molecular mobility and increases Young’s modulus. Owing to its applications in various fields, such as biomedical, microelectronics, sensors, and polymer composites, polymer nanoconfinement is a widely studied topic. This confinement changes the configuration of molecules compared with those of solids, which, in the case of polymeric films, decreases the glass transition temperature and mechanical properties of the polymer. In this study, nanostructured polymethylmethacrylate, presenting three-dimensional nanoscale confinement were evaluated using amplitude modulation–frequency modulation atomic force microscopy for the first time. The Young’s moduli and loss tangents were measured, and the results suggest that for cells smaller than approximately 39 nm, the Young’s modulus of the 3-D confined polymer enhances that of the raw solid owing to reduced molecular mobility. This research shows that the molecular mobility was reduced because polymer chains were confined within three-dimensional space.