Electro-osmotic flow in nanochannels with voltage-controlled polyelectrolyte brushes: Dependence on grafting density and normal electric field

Effects of electrostatic coupling and surface polarization on polyelectrolyte brush structure

In this work, we perform molecular dynamics simulations to study a spherical polyelectrolyte brush. We explore the effects of surface polarization and electrostatic coupling on brush size and distribution of counterions. The method of image charges is considered to take into account surface polarization, considering a metallic, an unpolarizable, and a dielectric nano-core. It is observed that, for all cases, a moderate shrinking-swelling effect appears with an increase in the electrostatic coupling parameter. This effect occurs under high Manning ratios. The curves relating the average size of polyelectrolyte brush as a function of coupling show a minimum. The results show that the grafting density of polyelectrolytes on the nano-core surface plays an important role in the polarization effect. We consider a modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory to describe the counterion profiles around the brush in the case of unpolarizable nano-cores and weak electrostatic coupling.

Dual-responsive zwitterion-modified nanopores：a mesoscopic simulation study

In this work, dissipative particle dynamics simulation was carried out to investigate the intelligent switching effect of nanopores grafted by the zwitterionic polymer brushes poly(carboxybetaine) with excellent antifouling property. The...

Counterion-Tunable Thermosensitivity of Strong Polyelectrolyte Brushes

In this work, poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) brushes have been employed as a precursor to prepare thermosensitive strong polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) through a counterion exchange strategy. The substitution of hydrophilic Na⁺ counterions by hydrophobic tetraalkylphosphonium counterions leads to a thermoresponsivity of the SPBs. The thermosensitive properties including hydration, stiffness, and surface water wettability of the SPBs can be modulated by the type of the tetraalkylphosphonium counterions. Nevertheless, the wet thickness of the SPBs with tetraalkylphosphonium counterions does not exhibit an obvious temperature dependency due to the high steric barrier in the crowded environment of SPBs generated by the large tetraalkylphosphonium counterions. The mixtures of small Na⁺ counterions and large tetraalkylphosphonium counterions are employed to realize the thermosensitive wet thickness without sacrificing other thermoresponsive properties of the SPBs because the mixed counterions can bring both a certain hydrophobicity and some free space to the brushes. This work opens up the opportunities available for the use of counterions to tune the thermosensitivity of SPBs.

Electrowetting of Weak Polyelectrolyte-Coated Surfaces

Polymer coatings are commonly used to modify interfacial properties like wettability, lubrication, or biocompatibility. These properties are determined by the conformation of polymer molecules at the interface. Polyelectrolytes are convenient elementary bricks to build smart materials, given that polyion chain conformation is very sensitive to different environmental variables. Here we discuss the effect of an applied electric field on the properties of surfaces coated with poly(acrylic acid) brushes. By combining atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and contact angle experiments, we show that it is possible to precisely tune polyion chain conformation, surface adhesion, and surface wettability using very low applied voltages if the polymer grafting density and environmental conditions (pH and ionic strength) are properly formulated. Our results indicate that the effective ionization degree of the grafted weak polyacid can be finely controlled with the externally applied field, with important consequences for the macroscopic surface properties.

Single-chain-in-mean-field simulations of weak polyelectrolyte brushes

Structural properties of brushes which are composed of weak acidic and basic polyelectrolytes are studied in the framework of a particle-based approach that implicitly accounts for the solvent quality. Using a semi-grandcanonical partition function in the framework of the Single-Chain-in-Mean-Field (SCMF) algorithm, the weak polyelectrolyte is conceived as a supramolecular mixture of polymers in different dissociation states, which are explicitly treated in the partition function and sampled by the SCMF procedure. One obtains a local expression for the equilibrium acid-base reaction responsible for the regulation of the charged groups that is also incorporated to the SCMF sampling. Coupled to a simultaneous treatment of the electrostatics, the approach is shown to capture the main features of weak polyelectrolyte brushes as a function of the bulk pH in the solution, the salt concentration, and the grafting density. Results are compared to experimental and theoretical works from the literature using coarse-grained representations of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) polymer-based brushes. As the Born self-energy of ions can be straightforwardly included in the numerical approach, we also study its effect on the local charge regulation mechanism of the brush. We find that its effect becomes significant when the brush is dense and exposed to high salt concentrations. The numerical methodology is then applied (1) to the study of the kinetics of collapse/swelling of a P2VP brush and (2) to the ability of an applied voltage to induce collapse/swelling of a PAA brush in a pH range close to the pK_a value of the polymer.

pH- and Electro-Responsive Properties of Poly(acrylic acid) and Poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(acrylic acid-grad-styrene) Brushes Studied by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring

We report on the synthesis of novel pH- and electro-responsive polyelectrolyte brushes from a gold substrate by direct one-step nitroxide-mediated polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) or copolymerization of AA and styrene (S). In the latter case, amphiphilic brushes of block-gradient copolymers PAA-b-(PAA-grad-PS) comprising one PAA block and one block with the gradient sequence of AA and S were obtained. The block-gradient copolymers are initiated from the surface by the start of the PAA block. The brushes were characterized by XPS and ellipsometry. (1)H NMR confirmed the gradient sequence of the PAA-grad-PS copolymer block. The pH- and electro-responsive properties of the brushes were studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) in combination with electrochemistry. This method provides evidence of swelling of the PAA brushes proportional to the contour length of the chains at elevated pH, whereas the response functions of the block-gradient copolymers are more complex and point to intermolecular aggregation in the brush at low pH. Monitoring of the changes in resonance frequency and dissipation of the QCM-D also demonstrates that application of negative voltage to the substrate leads to swelling of the brush; application of a positive voltage provokes only a transient collapse of the brush in proportion to the applied voltage.

Numerical study of weak polybase brushes grafted on neutral or charged spherical surface by the self-consistent field theory

The self-consistent field theory (SCFT) is employed to numerically study the response of weak polybase type polymer chains grafted on a sphere to electric fields generated by the uniform positive or negative charges on the grafting substrate in the planar polyelectrolyte brush limit. Also the effect of curvature of the grafting sphere on the brush height of weak polybase brushes in the absence of surface charges is investigated. The numerical study reveals interesting and nontrivial dependence of the brush height on the radius of the grafting substrate. Consistent with experimental results, in the parameter range of the surface charge density examined, the brush height is found to be independent of the applied electric field at intermediate and high grafting densities. At relatively low grafting density, the applied negative surface charge which is termed as negative bias in this study results in a reduction of the brush height. At rather low grafting density, the positive bias corresponding to applied positive surface charges can lead to a slight increase in the brush height. The underlining mechanism governing the response of weak polybase brushes to the applied electric field is elucidated.

Streaming potential and electroviscous effects in soft nanochannels: towards designing more efficient nanofluidic electrochemomechanical energy converters

In this paper we provide analytical solutions for the streaming potential and electroviscous effects in soft nanochannels. The analysis is based on the solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation, valid for small electrostatic potentials. We identify the important dimensionless parameters that dictate these two effects. Results are provided for a large range of electric double layer (EDL) thickness values, spanning from the case of very thin to very large overlapped EDL thicknesses. We compare the results with those of a rigid nanochannel, having zeta potential equal to the electrostatic potential at the solid-polyelectrolyte interface of the soft nanochannels. For the soft nanochannel, the streaming potential varies very weakly with the EDL thickness and can be substantially larger than that corresponding to the rigid nanochannel. The electroviscous effects for the soft nanochannel, unlike the rigid nanochannel, virtually always exhibit a monotonic decrease with the EDL thickness, and for certain parameter ranges can be several times larger than that for a rigid nanochannel. Most importantly, for the soft nanochannels the electrochemomechanical energy conversion, associated with the generation of streaming potential, is found to be highly efficient, with the efficiency being several times higher than that of a rigid nanochannel.

Structure of polyelectrolyte brushes subject to normal electric fields

Molecular dynamic simulations of salt-free polyelectrolyte brushes subject to external fields applied normal to the grafting substrate reveal the three-dimensional monomer and counterion distributions. It is found that below a critical electric field, local electroneutrality holds for densely grafted brushes and the brush height remains independent of field intensity. Above this critical field (which scales as 1/3 with grafting density) brush height increases smoothly, and the fraction of condensed counterions decreases. The brush bifurcates into two subpopulations of stretched and collapsed chains when the grafting density is not low. At intermediate grafting densities, the majority of chains are stretched and the minority are nonstretched. At high grafting densities bifurcation and brush height growth occur consecutively. The majority of the chains are nonstretched at high grafting densities. Although not observed prior to overstretching of the chain model, it is predicted that the two subpopulations will re-merge to a single highly stretched phase when field intensity reaches a third critical value. The ability to control subpopulations of chains suggests that utilizing electric fields normal to polyelectrolyte brushes holds potential as controllable gates in microfluidic devices.