Characterization of sizing layers and buried polymer/sizing/substrate interfacial regions using a localized fluorescent probe.

A novel technique is described to investigate buried polymer/sizing/substrate interfacial regions, in situ, by localizing a fluorescent probe molecule in the sizing layer. Epoxy functional silane coupling agent multilayers were deposited on glass microscope cover slips and doped with small levels of a fluorescently labeled silane coupling agent (FLSCA). The emission of the grafted FLSCA was dependent on the silane layer thickness, showing blue-shifted emission with decreasing thickness. The fluorescent results suggest that thinner layers were more tightly bound to the glass surface. The layers were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). When the FLSCA-doped silane layers were immersed in epoxy resin, a blue shift in emission occurred during resin cure, indicating the potential to study interfacial chemistry, in situ. Thicker silane layers exhibited smaller fluorescence shifts during cure, suggesting incomplete resin penetration into the thickest silane layers.