Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Polymer Thin Films Using a Kirigami-Inspired Support

A method of determining the mechanical relaxation behavior of polymer thin films is presented that employs a kirigami-inspired sample support. The film of interest is placed on the kirigami support and loaded into a dynamic mechanical analyzer. When the composite is placed in tension, the substrate effectively transfers the load to the film of interest. We demonstrate the approach using a number of polymers and conjugated polymer: small molecule blends relevant for organic photovoltaics. The kirigami-inspired method is found to provide an accurate view of thermal relaxation behavior in polymer thin films, including a quantitative assessment of the film storage modulus. The method is particularly valuable in thin films where film morphology is highly dependent on processing conditions. We show that differences in casting conditions have a clear impact on the thermal relaxation of both the neat and blend conjugated polymer films.

Automated summary

The innovative kirigami-inspired method accurately reveals the thermal relaxation behavior of polymer thin films, particularly in cases where film morphology is highly dependent on processing conditions.