Nano-scale brushes: How to build a smart surface coating

Abstract

Via computer simulations, we demonstrate how a densely grafted layer of polymers, a {\it brush}, could be turned into an efficient switch through chemical modification of some of its end-monomers. In this way, a surface coating with reversibly switchable properties can be constructed. We analyze the fundamental physical principle behind its function, a recently discovered surface instability, and demonstrate that the combination of a high grafting density, an inflated end-group size and a high degree of monodispersity are conditions for an optimal functionality of the switch.

References in corpus (1)

• The transition from highly to fully stretched polymer brushes in good solvent

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Stimuli-responsive brushes with active minority components: Monte Carlo study and analytical theory
• Anomalous Structure and Scaling of Ring Polymer Brushes
• Fluctuation driven height reduction of crosslinked polymer brushes
• Description of interfaces of fluid-tethered chains: advances in density functional theories and off-lattice computer simulations