Poylmer Thin Film & Analysis Lab. (PTFAL)

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) a reliable and super-accurate analysis technique which is based on the elastic scattering of X-ray (wavelength of 0.1 ~ 0.2 nm) caused by inhomogenieous samples. It is very useful to analyze nanoscale periodic structures (i.e. block copolymer) having electron density difference among the constituent domains. Our group actively takes advantage of not only the transmission SAXS for bulk polymers, but also the grazing-incidence SAXS (abbreviated to GISAXS) for polymer thin films. Polymer baroplasticity is a desirable property for the recycling and regenerating material industries, since it allows the polymers to flow at relatively mild pressure. Particularly in baroplastic block copolymers (BCPs), the compressibility issue pertaining to the enhanced miscibility with pressure has been an attractive topic, because an ordered state of baroplastic BCPs becomes a phase-mixed (or disordered) phase between the two dissimilar blocks upon pressurizing. Our group has reported the characteristic phase behaviors of baroplastic BCPs and their blends. Fundamental issues on BCP self-assembly in both bulk and thin film states.