No abstract

A methodology for the formation and derivatization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkyl phosphonic acids on common engineering metals such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and brass is described. This methodology is shown to be a versatile route for surface modification of such substrates. α,ω-Metal bisphosphonate SAMs are shown to be receptive to complexation by organic acids and acid-containing polymers such as fluoropolymers and ethylene-co-methacrylic acid. This latter attribute is exploited in the construction of polymer/SAM/metal interfaces of surprising durability. The durability of the interface is a strong function of the SAM chain length.

A technique for measuring mutual diffusion coefficients of polymers in the melt using infrared attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy is described. This method measures the dissolution of a polymeric diffusant into a matrix of another polymer and is applicable to any diffusion couple with infrareddistinguishable bands. In situ measurements of the diffusion of various molecular weight polystyrenes and the temperature dependence of the diffusion of poly(methyl methacrylate) are presented.