title: Finite-stretching corrections to the Milner-Witten-Cates theory for polymer brushes.
abstract: This paper investigates finite-stretching corrections to the classical Milner-Witten-Cates theory for semi-dilute polymer brushes in a good solvent. The dominant correction to the free energy originates from an entropic repulsion caused by the impenetrability of the grafting surface, which produces a depletion of segments extending a distance mu proportional to L(-1) from the substrate, where L is the classical brush height. The next most important correction is associated with the translational entropy of the chain ends, which creates the well-known tail where a small population of chains extend beyond the classical brush height by a distance xi proportional to L(-1/3). The validity of these corrections is confirmed by quantitative comparison with numerical self-consistent field theory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AX, UK. j.kim@reading.ac.uk
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Matsen
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers