title: Direct observation of polyelectrolyte brushes under wet and dry conditions by atmospheric scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: Polyelectrolyte brushes are polyelectrolyte polymers with one end fixed to a substrate. In this study, direct nano-scale visualization of polyelectrolyte brushes was carried out under 'aqueous conditions' by atmospheric scanning electron microscopy. The thickness of the polyelectrolyte brush layer was measured under both dry and aqueous conditions, experimentally confirming the swollen state of the brushes. These experimental findings qualitatively agreed with the results from previous neutron reflectivity experiments using similar polyelectrolyte brushes. Such direct visualization of polymer brushes in real space opens up a new route for better understanding their surface properties, such as friction, adhesion and wettability.
authors.affiliation: Takahara Soft Interfaces Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering (IMCE), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: JEOL Ltd, 1-2 Musashino 3-chome, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konyuba
authors.affiliation: JEOL Ltd, 1-2 Musashino 3-chome, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.affiliation: JEOL Ltd, 1-2 Musashino 3-chome, Akishima, Tokyo 196-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.affiliation: Takahara Soft Interfaces Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering (IMCE), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.affiliation: Takahara Soft Interfaces Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering (IMCE), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan hjinnai@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jinnai
keywords: atmospheric scanning electron microscopy; polymer brush; polymer interface