Confinement effects on the local motion in nanocomposites

AbstractThe local segmental dynamics of polymers confined within the 15–20 Å interlayer spacing of nanocomposites consisting of poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) intercalated within organically modified silicates, has been investigated utilizing Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy. The effect of confinement on the local reorientational dynamics is evident by the observation of a relaxation mode, which is much faster than the segmental α-relaxation of the bulk polymer and exhibits much weaker temperature dependence. This is attributed to the restrictions placed by the interlayer spacing on the cooperative volume required for the ax-relaxation.