Study on the interfacial properties of polymers around a nanoparticle.

Abstract

The interfacial properties of polymer chains on spherical nanoparticles are investigated using off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Results show that the number of adsorbed monomers increases whereas the number of adsorbed polymers decreases with increasing the polymer–nanoparticle interaction strength. The interfacial layer thickness is independent of the nanoparticle size and chain length. The interfacial monomers exhibit layering behaviors with three distinct layers. The mobility of monomers in the innermost layer is strongly dependent on the polymer–nanoparticle interaction strength. The interfacial monomers always keep moving, and no glassy layer is present around the nanoparticle. Finally, our results show that the motion of nanoparticle can weaken the adsorption of polymers but does not change the conformational property of adsorbed polymers.