X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies on the surface segregation in poly(dimethylsiloxane) containing block copolymers

The surface science of polymer materials is a dynamic field, largely because of application in such areas as composite materials, wetting, coatings, adhesion, friction, and biocompatibility. In this review, we have focused on the study of surface segregation in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) containing block copolymers using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), accomplished in our laboratory for this recent decade. We will give insight on XPS which is an effective quantitative tool to probe an air-polymer interface of a few tens of nanometers thick for investigating surface segregation in common multiphase polymer systems as well as in PDMS containing block copolymers.