Self-Consistent Field Theory of Brushes of Neutral Water-Soluble Polymers

The Self-Consistent Field theory of brushes of neutral water-soluble polymers described by two-state models is formulated in terms of the effective Flory interaction parameter $χ_{eff}(T,ϕ)$ that depends on both temperature, T and the monomer volume fraction, $ϕ$. The concentration profiles, distribution of free ends and compression force profiles are obtained in the presence and in the absence of a vertical phase separation. A vertical phase separation within the layer leads to a distinctive compression force profile and a minimum in the plot of the moments of the concentration profile vs. the grafting density. The analysis is applied explicitly to the Karalstrom model. The relevance to brushes of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAM) is discussed.

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