Chain Movements at the Topmost Surface of Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Polystyrene Films Directly Evaluated by In Situ High-Temperature Atomic Force Microscopy.

The surfaces of polymeric materials are thermodynamically unstable, and the glass-transition temperature () is significantly lower than that in the bulk material. However, the mobility of the chains at the top of the surface has never been directly evaluated. In this study, the movements of the topmost chains of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) bulk films were observed in situ at high temperatures with atomic force microscopy in tapping mode.