Dynamics of polymers across an interface

The migration of polymers across an interface as welding and self-healing of polymer layers takes place, is in the core of polymer-based devices. Using large-scale molecular-dynamics simulations the motion of polymer chains across an interface has been investigated. Unlike self-diffusion of polymers in melts where the early stages of diffusion are characterized by the reptation-like motion of chains in constraining tube formed by neighboring molecules, we find that interdiffusion across an interface is dominated by motion of the chain ends