Combining Advanced Experimental Methods to Characterization of Polymer Nanocomposites*

Each characterization method provides specific information about a polymer sample over a limited range of length and time scales. A comprehensive understanding of polymer morphology and dynamics is best developed by combining a set of characterization methods to capture a broader range of lengths and times. This talk will highlight examples from our studies of polymer nanocomposites that have combined methods to develop detailed and quantitative descriptions of these complex polymer systems. Specifically, the dynamics in polymer nanocomposites include segmental and chain-scale motion of the polymer, as well as diffusion of the nanoparticles. We apply ion beam methods (elastic recoil detection and Rutherford backscattering) and single particle tracking methods, as well as more accessible methods such as temperature-modulated DSC and broadband dielectric spectroscopy methods, to probe the molecular weight dependence of the polymer and nanoparticles are revealed for nanoparticles of various sizes and nanoparticle-polymer interactions. These vignettes will also serve to illustrate the capabilities of the individual methods and demonstrate the exceptional value of combining these advanced experimental methods.