Abstract
Recently, polymer nanocomposites have attracted a lot of research interest, not only because they exhibit new and improved properties comparing to their bulk counterparts, but also because they represent unique model systems to study the statics and dynamics of polymers confined over distances ranging from the statistical segment length to the radius of gyration of the chains. In particular, increased interest has been concentrated on polymer intercalated systems employing 2:1 mica-type phyllo-silicates, such as smectites and hectorites. By following the temporal evolution of X-ray diffraction patterns during polymer melt intercalation into the galleries of layered silicates the non-equilibrium dynamics of polymer chains in a 2 nm slit has been studied. In this paper we will present and discuss the intercalation kinetics of polystyrene as a function of molecular weight, polymer/surface interaction, chain ends and polymer architecture (i.e. random, block and star). Furthermore, structural details obtained from neutron and x-ray scattering will be presented and discussed.