Structural Properties and Phase Behavior of Crosslinked Networks in Polymer Solutions.

Structural properties and phase behavior of crosslinked networks embedded in polymer solutions are theoretically investigated. The partial structure factor of the network is calculated using a matrix formulation of the random phase approximation and the forward scattering limit is correlated with the phase behavior. Swelling and deswelling processes are analyzed in terms of the polymer concentration, the mismatch of solvent quality with respect to polymer and network, the polymers incompatibility and their characteristic sizes.

Viscoelasticity of gelatin surfaces probed by AFM noise analysis.

The viscoelastic properties of surfaces of swollen gelatin were investigated by analyzing the Brownian motion of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever in contact with the gel surface. A micron-sized glass sphere attached to the AFM cantilever is used as the dynamic probe. When the sphere approaches the gelatin surface, there is a static repulsive force without a jump into contact.