Nowadays nanotechnology has brought the attention of confining polymeric materials at the nanoscale level. The physical properties of these systems may drastically deviate from those of bulk homologues due to the presence of interfaces. Shifts in phase transition temperatures are just examples of such confinement effects, which for more than 20 years have been fascinating a broad community of researchers. In this context, studies of polymer glasses in confined geometries attempt to access insight on how glass transition is modified in these conditions.
This thesis aims to extend the research performed on the non-equilibrium dynamics of polymer glasses. To this end, we have established an optimal methodology, ranging from the preparation and characterization to the study of several aspects of the glass transition of bulk and confined systems. Specifically, the research was focused on the non-equilibrium effects below and above the glass transition temperature
