Rheology of poly(methyl methacrylate) Langmuir monolayers: Percolation transition to a soft glasslike system

An experimental study of the equilibrium properties and of the surface rheology of Langmuir monolayers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at the air/water interface has been carried out as a function of polymer concentration (Gamma) and molecular weight (M-w). Dilational and shear complex elasticity moduli covering a frequency range from 10(-3) to 0.2 Hz have been discussed. It was found that the air/water interface behaves as a poor solvent for PMMA monolayers, thus suggesting that the polymer coils take collapsed soft-disks (pancakes) shape at the interface. The equilibrium and dynamic results suggest a fluid-to-soft-glass transition as the polymer concentration increases above a critical packing fraction at constant temperature. This two-dimensional transition is in agreement with results previously discussed for the dilational rheology of poly(4-hydroxystyrene) [F. Monroy, F. Ortega, R.G. Rubio, H. Ritacco, and D. Langevin, J. Chem. Phys. 95, 056103 (2005)]. Furthermore, the Gamma-dependence of the relaxation dynamics of the monolayers suggests that the gel state may be considered as a fragile soft glass. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3560612]