Neutron reflectometry can be used in various ways to investigate surfaces, interfaces and thin films of polymers. Its potential comes mostly from the possibilities offered by selective deuteration, where a particular component can be made visible with respect to its activity at the interface. In addition the depth resolution is much better than with most other direct techniques, and details of the profiles may be resolved. Several examples will be discussed including the segment diffusion at the interface between two polymer films, the determination of the narrow interfaces between incompatible polymer blends and the development of order in thin diblock copolymer films.

Neutron reflectivity techniques are used in various areas of polymer science for the investigation of polymer surfaces, interfaces and thin films. This includes interdiffiision, blending, roughening, development of surface induced order, adsorption or surface enrichment of components. Several excellent reviews of different aspects in this area have been published see e.g. reviews by Russell, Stamm and Schubert, Richards and Penfold  and Foster. In those studies quite often the particular surface and interface properties are in the focus, but it is also tried in many cases to use the thin films as model systems for the determination of properties and parameters of the bulk state, which otherwise cannot easily be obtained. An example in both respects are polymer blend systems, where the surface induced ordering of diblock copolymers is a typical surface phenomena, while the segment diffusion across the interface of two polymer films and the determination of the interface width in incompatible polymer blends is used to draw conclusion on segment mobility and blend compatibility also for the bulk state.

Neutron reflectometry can be used in various ways to investigate surfaces, interfaces and thin films of polymers. Its potential comes mostly from the possibilities offered by selective deuteration, where a particular component can be made visible with respect to its activity at the interface. In addition the depth resolution is much better than with most other direct techniques, and details of the profiles may be resolved. Several examples will be discussed including the segment diffusion at the interface between two polymer films, the determination of the narrow interfaces between incompatible polymer blends and the development of order in thin diblock copolymer films.

Neutron reflectivity techniques are used in various areas of polymer science for the investigation of polymer surfaces, interfaces and thin films. This includes interdiffiision, blending, roughening, development of surface induced order, adsorption or surface enrichment of components. Several excellent reviews of different aspects in this area have been published see e.g. reviews by Russell, Stamm and Schubert, Richards and Penfold  and Foster. In those studies quite often the particular surface and interface properties are in the focus, but it is also tried in many cases to use the thin films as model systems for the determination of properties and parameters of the bulk state, which otherwise cannot easily be obtained. An example in both respects are polymer blend systems, where the surface induced ordering of diblock copolymers is a typical surface phenomena, while the segment diffusion across the interface of two polymer films and the determination of the interface width in incompatible polymer blends is used to draw conclusion on segment mobility and blend compatibility also for the bulk state.