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Water uptake and swelling in a thin (~15 nm) Nafion film on SiO2 native oxide on a Si wafer is studied as a function of relative humidity (8-97%) at room temperature and as a function of temperature (25-60 °C) at 97% relative humidity by neutron reflectometry. This is the first report on the behavior of thin Nafion films at elevated temperatures and high humidity. Large hysteresis is observed during the temperature cycle. The observed swelling strain in the film at 60 °C is 48% as compared to the as-deposited state, which is far above any previously observed trend at room temperature. A small decrease in the average SLD suggests that part of the additional swelling is due to thermal expansion, but the estimated D2O/SO3 ratio also increases by 70%. Half of the "excess" absorption and 73% of the additional swelling are retained during cooling back to room temperature. The results provide new insights into the dynamics of Nafion on nanometer scales under fuel cell operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron reflectometry data and modelingsupport the existence ofa relatively thick, continuous phase of water stemming from withinan antifouling monoethylene glycol silane adlayer prepared on oxidizedsilicon wafers. In contrast, this physically distinct (from bulk)interphase is much thinner and only interfacial in nature for theless effective adlayer lacking internal ether oxygen atoms. Theseresults provide further insight into the link between antifoulingand surface hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water localization in thin polyelectrolyte multilayers assembled from poly(acrylic acid) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) was investigated with neutron reflectivity in an atmosphere of controlled humidity and with bulk water. Water was found to be distributed asymmetrically within the multilayer and to localize preferentially at the polymer surface. The diffusion of water into the multilayer did not completely penetrate to the substrate, but instead there appeared to be an exclusion zone near the Si substrate. These results help to explain previous observations of anomalous water transport kinetics in weak polyelectrolyte systems.