| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 71, Number 4, August 2005
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 639 - 645 | |
| Section | Condensed matter: structural, mechanical and thermal properties | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2005-10121-4 | |
| Published online | 14 July 2005 | |
How does the pattern of grafting points influence the structure of one-component and mixed polymer brushes?
1
Institut für Physik, WA331, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität - 55099 Mainz, Germany
2
Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison 1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1390, USA
Received:
13
May
2005
Accepted:
20
June
2005
Using Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring model we study the lateral structure formation of one-component polymer brushes in a bad solvent and of a mixed polymer brush upon increasing the incompatibility of the two species. We compare the morphology of the brush with a regular distribution of grafting points and with a random arrangement. Density or composition fluctuations of the grafting points enhance the formation of irregular structures but randomness prevents the formation of long-range order. Even small fluctuations of the grafting points are sufficient to pin the lateral structures of the brush.
PACS: 64.60.Cn – Order-disorder transformations; statistical mechanics of model systems / 64.70.Nd – Structural transitions in nanoscale materials / 61.25.Hq – Macromolecular and polymer solutions; polymer melts; swelling
© EDP Sciences, 2005
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