The influence of fullerene additives on the structure of polystyrene films

It was shown by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction that a polystyrene solid with a three-level hierarchical structure was formed when the solvent was evaporated from a solution of polystyrene in o -xylene (polystyrene molecules stuck together united to form a framework). The kinetics of the transformation of formerly dissolved molecules into aggregates could be described by a Fokker-Planck-type equation. Fullerenes introduced into a solution of polystyrene in amounts less than 0.1 wt % transformed aggregated polystyrene molecules into nanocrystals and accelerated the formation of aggregates. The influence of fullerenes on the kinetics of the processes could be correctly described in the continuum approximation taking into account aggregation rate fluctuations.