Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.105, No.20, 9362-9370, 1996
Copolymer Brushes
We study a diblock AB copolymer brush in good solvent using the self-consistent field approximation. The copolymer chains of the brush are end grafted to a planar surface always by the same type of monomers. Depending on the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter chi(AB), we found two different regimes. If chi(AB)>0 a demixing transition occurs when the solvent is poor. An exclusion zone appears close to the grafting surface from where one type of monomers is expelled. In this region a steplike brush is formed by the other monomers. At the extremity of this brush appears then a conventional parabolic brush formed by the excluded monomers. If chi(AB)<0 the monomers are miscible and backwards twisted configurations become very important as chi(AB) increases. For larger values of chi AB the collapse of the system may occur.
Keywords:GRAFTED POLYMER BRUSH;MONTE-CARLO;TRIBLOCK COPOLYMERS;MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS;POOR SOLVENT;INTERFACE;SIMULATION;CHAINS;MODEL;LIMIT