6533b821fe1ef96bd127b92c
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Structure of Polymer Brushes in Cylindrical Tubes: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Dieter W. HeermannD. I. DimitrovKurt BinderAndrey Milchevsubject
Polymers and PlasticsFOS: Physical sciencesSubstrate (electronics)Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed MatterInorganic ChemistryQuantitative Biology::Subcellular Processeschemistry.chemical_compoundColloidMolecular dynamicsPolymer chemistryMaterials Chemistrychemistry.chemical_classificationPhysics::Biological PhysicsQuantitative Biology::BiomoleculesOrganic ChemistryPolymerCondensed Matter PhysicsCondensed Matter::Soft Condensed MatterMonomerComputer Science::GraphicschemistryChemical physicsExcluded volumeSoft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)Layer (electronics)Macromoleculedescription
Molecular Dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring model of flexible macromolecules tethered with one end to the surface of a cylindrical pore are presented. Chain length $N$ and grafting density $\sigma$ are varied over a wide range and the crossover from ``mushroom'' to ``brush'' behavior is studied for three pore diameters. The monomer density profile and the distribution of the free chain ends are computed and compared to the corresponding model of polymer brushes at flat substrates. It is found that there exists a regime of $N$ and $\sigma$ for large enough pore diameter where the brush height in the pore exceeds the brush height on the flat substrate, while for large enough $N$ and $\sigma$ (and small enough pore diameters) the opposite behavior occurs, i.e. the brush is compressed by confinement. These findings are used to discuss the corresponding theories on polymer brushes at concave substrates.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-26 |