Newer physical and chemical methods of generating polymer films with macroscopic, mesoscopic and nanoscopic patterns

Abstract

The underlying theme of the experimental investigations carried out in the present thesis has been to find newer physical and chemical methods of generating polymer films with macroscopic, mesoscopic and nanoscopic patterns. First of all, a new method of formation of thin polyaniline film at the air-water interface is reported. It was observed that during polymerization of aniline coupled to iron (ferroin) catalyzed Beluosov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction had resulted in the formation of thin film of polyaniline at the air-water interface, in addition to polymerization in the bulk. Also, film formation could be observed under non-BZ reaction conditions. The film consisted of macroscopic patterns that varied from film to film. However, each of these films contained mesoscopic patterns, observable under the microscope, which were characteristic of the reaction catalyst. Further, a new p....