Nano-wetting of micellar structures on graphite:inÂsituinvestigations by scanning force microscopy

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Abstract
The adsorption behaviour of water-soluble negatively charged poly(ethylethylene-block-styrene sulfonic acid) on graphite surfaces has been investigated by dynamic scanning force microscopy in aqueous environments. Exploring the influence of added electrolytes, i.e. NaCl, on the aggregate structure was a further aim of this study. The obtained results were compared with prior experiments performed in air in order to investigate the influence of the drying effect on the adsorbed aggregate morphologies. Our results show that on graphite the drying process itself has no significant influence on the formation process of the different morphologies. A theoretical analysis of the adsorption of the micellar structures on hydrophobic substrates based on the experimental results is also presented.