Polymers in confining space: From isolated chains to polymer brushes

Confining geometries are realised in nature and technology in manifold ways, e.g. in molecular compartments of (living) biological cells, in nanoporous media, in thin (~ 10 nm) polymer layers or in long channels with nanometer diameter. In the talk briefly the dynamics of low molecular weight systems (as model system) will be discussed and then emhpasis is given to polymeric systems - prepared as isolated chains, as thin glassy layers or as brushes. It will turn out that the lengthscale on which molecular fluctuations take place becomes essential and that the confinement can given rise to new relaxational modes.

References:
1. Kremer, F., A. Huwe, M. Arndt, P. Behrens and W. Schwieger "How many molecules form a liquid ?" J. Phys. Condens Matter 11, A175-A188 (1999)
1. Huwe, A., F. Kremer, P. Behrens and W. Schwieger "Molecular dynamics in confining space: From the single molecule to the liquid state" Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 11, p.2338-2341 (1999)
2. Spange, St., A. Gräser, A. Huwe, F. Kremer, C. Tintemann and P. Behrens "Cationic host-guest polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole and vinyl ethers in MCM-41, MCM-48 and Nanoporous glasses", Chem. European Journ. 7, No. 1 pp. 3722-3728 (2001)
3. Hartmann, L., W. Gorbatschow, J. Hauwede and F. Kremer "Molecular dynamics in thin films of isotactic PMMA", Eur.Phys. J.E, 8, pp.145-154 (2002)
4. Kremer,F., A. Huwe, A. Schönhals and S.A. Rozanski "Molekular Dynamics in Confining Space", Chapt. VI in "Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy", (Eds. F. Kremer, A. Schönhals), Springer-Verlag Berlin (2002)
5. Serghei, A., F. Kremer " Confinement-induced relaxation process in thin films of cis-polyisoprene " Phys. Rev. Letters Vol. 91. No.16, pp. 165702-1-165702-4 (2003)
6. Kremer, F., L. Hartmann, A. Serghei, P. Pouret and L. Léger "Molecular dynamics in thin grafted and spin-coated polymer layers" EJP E Vol.12, no.1, pp.139-142 (2003)
7. Serghei, A., F. Kremer, W. Kob " Chain conformation in thin polymer layers as revealed by simulations of ideal random walks" EJP E Vol.12, No. 1 pp. 143-146 (2003)