Influence of molecular rigidity on interfacial ordering in diphenyl-based polysiloxane films

Synchrotron X-ray reflectivity (XRR) shows significant differences between the ordering in thin films of diphenyl-based siloxane oligomers with single versus double backbones of –Si–O– repeating groups. We show that the more restricted conformational arrangement of twofold-skeleton molecules results in a higher degree of molecular ordering indicated by 2–2.5 times higher value of intensity of the corresponding Bragg peak in thin solid films of poly(phenylsilsesquioxane) than in films of poly(diphenylsiloxane), regardless of the solvent used for film casting. In both cases, the ordered molecules are located within 40–50 Å of the substrate surface. The results indicate unambiguously that the chain stiffness of siloxanes governs the degree of ordering in the restricted geometry of the interfacial region.