Abstract
A first-order phase transition between an adsorbed (two-dimensional)polymer layer at low surface coverage and a stretched (brush-like)configuration at intermediate surface coverage is predicted usingsingle-chain mean-field theory in grafted block copolymer layers.The phase transition is the result of the interplay between anattractive interaction of the tethered block monomers and the surface and asurface-coverage–dependent repulsion with the surface induced by thepresence of the grafting block. This repulsion is in addition to thesteric repulsion between the monomers of the tethered block. Thecritical point of the phase transition is found as a function of thestrength of the polymer-surface attraction, tethered polymer-graftingblock repulsion and tethered-block molecular weight. The findings ofthe theory are in agreement with different experimental findings bothat solid-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces.
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