Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
The effect of nanoparticles on the phase stability of an immiscible PS/PMMA blend was studied in thin film samples. Using AFM and selective dissolution we find that nanoparticles affect the domain evolution of the polymer blend. Annealing of the pure PS/PMMA blend at 190 °C leads to PS drops that protrude from the PMMA surface. Films containing the nanoparticles show similar surface features but these features become less regular and tend to get shallower and larger as the amount of nanoparticles increases. The characteristic length of the PS drops in the pure blend film is ∼ 7 microns and they cover 22 % of the surface. The corresponding numbers for the film containing 10% nanoparticles are 15 microns and 65%, respectively.