This project is directed at polymer chain transport at interfaces and toward interfaces. By combining with surface light scattering studies we have been pursuing in recent years in parallel with the chain diffusion studies, we will examine (1) polymer lateral diffusion on the interface of air/water(A/W); (2) adsorption kinetics of polymer chains onto the interfaces of air/water and oil/water(O/W); and to extend (3) chain diffusion studies to porous media such as thermoreversible and crosslinked gels. The first project is derived from our studies for the surface viscoelastic parameters of stable spread films of various polymers on A/W, and thus we will probe into microscopic behaviors of chain transport, i.e., lateral diffusion of polymer chains in monolayers and thin films, and relate them to a parameter such as the longitudinal compressional viscosity. The second problem is derived from the fact that one gains access to the adsorption kinetics of polymer chains onto A/W amd O/W by non-invasive optical methods of surface light scattering and interface evanescent wave fluorescence whereby different adsorption mechanisms can be probed directly. The last item aims to systematize the chain diffusion behaviors in various gels of different pore sizes and network junctions.
