Molecular dynamics of grafted PBLG in the swollen and in the dried state

A novel technique to contact (ultra-) thin polymer layers is presented which enables to compare the molecular dynamics in grafted films of poly(y-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) to that of the bulk polymer by means of dielectric spectroscopy. Two relaxation processes are observed which are assigned to restricted fluctuations of the helical main chains and to the dynamic glass transition of the side chains. Furthermore, the swelling behavior of PBLG is studied.