Kinetics of adsorption of block copolymers revealed by surface plasmons

The kinetics of adsorption of diblock copolymers of poly(vinyl-2-pyridine) (PVP) and polystyrene (PS) from toluene solutions on silver surfaces has been studied by changes in the surface plasmon. This technique gives a measure of the quantity of adsorbed polymer and an estimate of the thickness of the adsorbed layer. The kinetics of adsorption appear highly dependent on the concentration of the solution and on the composition of the copolymer. The presence of micelles at higher concentrations leads to a high initial rate of adsorption, but the adsorption of unimers proceeds more slowly. The structure of the interface can be described as a thin layer of dense PVP and a brush of extended PS chains.