Abstract
To obtain the density distribution of a polymer at an oil–water interface, the interaction between a polymer segment and the interface is represented by a symmetric square-well potential or a symmetric δ-well potential. The polymer is modeled as a Gaussian chain with an effective segment–segment interaction that depends on the liquid phase (oil or water). Self-consistent field theory is used to calculate the density distribution of the polymer along a coordinate perpendicular to the interface. If the polymer segment–segment repulsion is strong in one phase and weak in the other, the polymer density distribution is relatively sharp in the first phase and relatively flat in the other. Contrary to what we expect for a polymer in the bulk, a polymer near the interface prefers the phase where the polymer–polymer repulsive interactions are relatively weak.
Published Version
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