Reflection−absorption infrared (RAIR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)
spectroscopy were used to determine the orientation of the bulk and interface of a polymer thin film
formed by atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (a-PMMA) which was dip-coated onto a novel dual-sided
substrate. The novel substrate with silver particles deposited on both sides of a glass slide by silver
mirror reaction had two sides with different roughness and reflectivity. The top side (rough) and the
bottom side (smooth) were suited for the SERS and RAIR analyses, respectively. The experimental results
suggested that the molecular chain axis of bulk a-PMMA tended to parallel orientation to the silver
substrate a little. However, the polymers at interface obviously oriented parallel to the substrate. A
conformation transition of ester groups of a-PMMA after annealing at high temperature was confirmed
using SERS and RAIR techniques.
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