Journal Article

IMPULSE-2023-00202

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png The Topology of Polymer Brushes Determines Their Nanoscale Hydration

Vagias, A. (Corresponding author)MLZ* ; Nelson, A. ; Wang, P. ; Reitenbach, J. ; Geiger, C. ; Kreuzer, L. P.MLZ* ; Saerbeck, T. ; Cubitt, R. ; Benetti, E. M. (Corresponding author) ; Müller-Buschbaum, P.MLZ*

2023
Wiley-VCH Weinheim

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1002/marc.202300035

Abstract: Time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (ToF-NR) performed under different relative humidity conditions demonstrates that polymer brushes constituted by hydrophilic, cyclic macromolecules exhibit a more compact conformation with lower roughness as compared to linear brush analogues, due to the absence of dangling chain ends extending at the polymer–vapor interface. In addition, cyclic brushes feature a larger swelling ratio and an increased solvent uptake with respect to their linear counterparts as a consequence of the increased interchain steric repulsions. It is proposed that differences in swelling ratios between linear and cyclic brushes come from differences in osmotic pressure experienced by each brush topology. These differences stem from entropic constraints. The findings suggest that to correlate the equilibrium swelling ratios at different relative humidity for different topologies a new form of the Flory-like expression for equilibrium thicknesses of grafted brushes is needed.

Keyword(s): Polymers, Soft Nano Particles and Proteins (1st) ; Soft Condensed Matter (2nd) ; Chemistry (2nd) ; Materials Science (2nd) ; Condensed Matter Physics (2nd)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. SOFTMATTER (SOFTMATTER)
2. SANS1 (SANS1)
3. Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ)

Experiment(s):

1. Measurement at external facility

Appears in the scientific report 2023

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Database coverage:
; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; DEAL Wiley ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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