https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/e2004-00017-4
Short commentary: Theoretical considerations on concentrated polymer interfaces: an attempt to explain dewetting of ultra-thin films
1
Sektion Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstr. 37, 80333, München, Germany
2
Département de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matiére Condensée, CEA-Grenoble, SI3M, UMR no 5819, CEA/CNRS/Université Joseph-Fourier, 38054, Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
* e-mail: aubouy@drfmc.ceng.cea.fr
We discuss the dewetting of ultra-thin molten polymer films within the framework of the Cahn-Hilliard theory for liquid interfaces. We argue that a) we need a pair of descriptors to characterize the bulk liquid of polymer chains (rather than the monomer density alone), b) the so-called loop density S, first introduced to describe polymer layers, may be a good scalar candidate for the configurational descriptor, c) the results found for the variation of S with distance might suggest an explanation for dewetting of ultra-thin polymer films.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, and Springer-Verlag, 2003