The alternating current (AC) chip nano-calorimetry is a powerful tool to investigate the physical properties of polymer thin films. In this paper, we report on the adsorption kinetics of polymers in which an AC chip nano-calorimetry was used for the first time. This technique allows for the real-time measurement of the adsorption kinetics of polymer chains onto the SiO2 surface. We used polystyrene (PS) and poly(9-anthracenyl methyl methacrylate) (PAMMA), which have different chemical natures and side group sizes. It was confirmed that the observed adsorption kinetics for PS were consistent with previously reported results obtained by dielectric spectroscopy. For PAMMA, we found characteristic adsorption kinetics, which shows a clear kink at the crossover between the early and later stages, while PS exhibits a lesser tendency of showing the kink as demonstrated by previously reported results.

The oxidative coupling of p-cresol in the aqueous solution was carried out in the presence of cyclodextrins. The production of the dimeric compound was preferentially prevented by α-cyclodextrin, while the trimerization was efficiently inhibited by γ-cyclodextrin. The different effects of these two cyclodextrins were explained by their different inclusion complex forming ability which depended on their cavity size.