Monitoring the dynamics of phase separation in a polymer blend by confocal imaging and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The phase separation of the polymer blend polystyrene/poly(methyl phenyl siloxane) (PS/PMPS) is studied in situ by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) at macroscopic and microscopic length scales, respectively. It is shown for the first time that FCS when combined with LSCM can provide independent information on the local concentration within the phase-separated domains as well as the interfacial width.