SKM 2023 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 8: Responsive and Adaptive Systems
CPP 8.4: Talk
Monday, March 27, 2023, 11:45–12:00, ZEU 255
Topology Impact on nanoscale hydration of polymer brushes — •Apostolos Vagias1, Andrew Nelson2, Peixi Wang3, Julija Reitenbach3, Christina Geiger3, Lucas Philipp Kreuzer1,3, Thomas Saerbeck4, Robert Cubitt4, Edmondo Maria Benetti5, and Peter Müller-Buschbaum1,3 — 1MLZ, TUM, Garching — 2ANSTO, Sydney, Australia — 3TUM School of Natural Sciences, Chair for Functional Materials, Garching — 4ILL, Grenoble, France — 5Polymer Surfaces Group, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Polymer brushes have demonstrated growing interest during last years, in particular in combination with exposure to aqueous environment. By utilizing time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (ToF-NR), we correlate the swelling properties of hydrophilic cyclic grafted polymer brushes to their thermodynamics. Cyclic brushes exhibit more compact conformations with lower roughness compared to their linear analogues, due to the absence of dangling chain ends extending at the interface. In addition, due to increased interchain steric repulsions, cyclic brushes feature larger swelling ratios at the same composition and comparable molar mass. Moreover, the two topologies exhibit differences in ageing, upon repetitive swelling/drying cycles. We present a case where current Flory-like expressions breakdown in the explanation of the experimental observations.