Onset of tethered chain overcrowding.
We proposed an approach to precisely control the density of tethered chains on solid substrates using PEO-b-PS and PLLA-b-PS. As the crystallization temperature Tx increased, the PEO or PLLA lamellar crystal thickness d(L) increased as well as the reduced tethering density sigma; of the PS chains. The onset of tethered PS chains overcrowding in solution occurs at sigma(*) approximately 3.7-3.8 as evidenced by an abrupt change in the slope between (d(L))(-1) and Tx. This results from the extra surface free energy created by the tethered chain that starts to affect the growth barrier of the crystalline blocks.
Maurice Morton Institute, Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, USA.
William Y
WY
Chen
Joseph X
JX
Zheng
Stephen Z D
SZ
Cheng
Christopher Y
CY
Li
Ping
P
Huang
Lei
L
Zhu
Huiming
H
Xiong
Qing
Q
Ge
Ya
Y
Guo
Rodric P
RP
Quirk
Bernard
B
Lotz
Lingfeng
L
Deng
Chi
C
Wu
Edwin L
EL
Thomas