title: Temperature-dependent nanostructure of an end-tethered octadecane brush in tetradecane and nanoparticle phase behavior.
abstract: The phase behavior of a molecular brush-C(18) grafted to the surface of both a silicon wafer and SiO(2) nanoparticles was investigated as a function of temperature using neutron reflectometry (NR) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), respectively. The experiments demonstrate a phase change in the brush layer characterized by a straightening of the molecular configuration, increase in shell thickness, and increase in solvent concentration with decreasing temperature that corresponds to gelation in the nanoparticle dispersion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron P R
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.forename: Norman J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akgun
authors.forename: Sushil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Satija