Publications Details
Structural Changes of Self-Assembled Leas Sulfide, Polystyrene Thin Films Under Extreme Pressure Using in-situ High Pressure Small Angle X-ray Scattering
Pepple, Mark A.; Hill, Joshua
Polymer nanocomposite films consisting of polystyrene (PS) and lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots, as well as pure PbS quantum dot films were synthesized for the purpose of investigating the pressure directed assembly (PDA) of the nanomaterials and the interactions of polystyrene and the quantum dot superlattice under pressure. Samples were compressed using a diamond anvil cell (DAC) to pressures greater than 15 GPa and studied using x-ray synchrotron radiation in order to show the changes in the d-spacing of the superlattice with respect to pressure. Absorption characteristics were investigated with ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV/Vis), while structure and long range ordering of the lattice were studied using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) as well as grazing incidence small angle scattering (GISAXS). Particle size was examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These inquiries into size, structure, and interactions were performed in order to gain a baseline understanding of the interplay between nanoparticles and a simple polymer in a composite system and how the composite systems can be composed in future experiments.