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ABSTRACT The relaxation of the local conformation of ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber at the quartz interface was examined by sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy in
conjunction with all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. At room temperature, SFG peaks due to the CH symmetric stretching vibration of methyl (CH3s) and methylene (CH2s) groups were
observed, and the intensity was stronger for CH3s than for CH2s. The CH3s to CH2s intensity ratio was reversed during the heating process, meaning that the local conformation of EPDM at the
interface changed. MD simulations revealed that the fraction of ethylene units in the trans conformation on the substrate surface decreased once the temperature was greater the interfacial
glass transition temperature (_T_g), which was determined based on the temperature dependence of the mass density. Moreover, the temperature-induced change in the fraction of propylene units
in the trans conformation was less remarkable than that of ethylene units. Both SFG spectroscopy and MD simulation confirmed that the _T_g was higher in the interfacial region than in the
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support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS VISCOELASTIC RELAXATION ATTRIBUTED TO THE MOLECULAR DYNAMICS OF POLYROTAXANE CONFINED IN AN EPOXY RESIN NETWORK Article 12 June 2020
MICRODOMAIN STRUCTURE CHANGE AND MACROSCOPIC MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF STYRENIC TRIBLOCK COPOLYMER UNDER CYCLIC UNIAXIAL AND BIAXIAL STRETCHING MODES Article 08 March 2021 GLASS TRANSITION AND
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silica surfaces. Langmuir. 2001;17:4329–35. Article CAS Google Scholar Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to thank Prof. Daisuke Kawaguchi of Kyushu University for fruitful
discussions and are also grateful for support from the JST-Mirai Program (JPMJMI18A2). The authors also thank Mr. Kotaro Ichino (Mitsui Chemicals Inc.) for his great cooperation in our
research. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Chiba, 299-0265, Japan Kiminori Uchida & Kazuki Mita * Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu University,
Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan Kiminori Uchida & Keiji Tanaka * Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan Kazuki Mita * Center for
Polymer Interface and Molecular Adhesion Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan Satoru Yamamoto & Keiji Tanaka Authors * Kiminori Uchida View author publications You can
also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Kazuki Mita View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Satoru Yamamoto View author
publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Keiji Tanaka View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING
AUTHORS Correspondence to Kiminori Uchida, Satoru Yamamoto or Keiji Tanaka. ETHICS DECLARATIONS CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no competing interests. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Uchida, K., Mita, K., Yamamoto, S. _et al._ Conformational relaxation of ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer at a solid interface. _Polym J_
55, 683–690 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00764-x Download citation * Received: 26 December 2022 * Revised: 28 January 2023 * Accepted: 29 January 2023 * Published: 02 March
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