Neutron reflectivity studies of composite nanoparticle – copolymer thin films

Neutron reflection was used for the investigation of a new class of copolymers - composite materials, consisting of symmetric polystyrene-polybuthylmethacrylate (PS-PBMA) diblock copolymer with incorporated nanoparticles gamma-Fe2O3 of a few nanometers in diameter. The presence of the nanoparticles induces an elastic distortion of the copolymer matrix. From the experiments we obtained information about the lamellar order of the polymer matrix, the distribution of the nanoparticles in the film and the distortion of the interfaces caused by the nanoparticles. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.