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Stevens MC, Taylor NM, Guo X, Hussain H, Mahmoudi N, Cattoz BN, Leung AHM, Dowding PJ, Vincent B, Briscoe WH. Diblock bottlebrush polymer in a non-polar medium: Self-assembly, surface forces, and superlubricity. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 658:639-647. [PMID: 38134672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Whilst bottlebrush polymers have been studied in aqueous media for their conjectured role in biolubrication, surface forces and friction mediated by bottlebrush polymers in non-polar media have not been previously reported. Here, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) showed that a diblock bottlebrush copolymer (oligoethyleneglycol acrylate/ethylhexyl acrylate; OEGA/EHA) formed spherical core-shell aggregates in n-dodecane (a model oil) in the polymer concentration range 0.1-2.0 wt%, with a radius of gyration Rg ∼ 7 nm, comprising 40-65 polymer molecules per aggregate. The surface force apparatus (SFA) measurements revealed purely repulsive forces between surfaces bearing inhomogeneous polymer layers of thickness L ∼ 13-23 nm, attributed to adsorption of a mixture of polymer chains and surface-deformed micelles. Despite the surface inhomogeneity, the polymer layers could mediate effective lubrication, demonstrating superlubricity with the friction coefficient as low as µ ∼ 0.003. The analysis of velocity-dependence of friction using the Eyring model shed light on the mechanism of the frictional process. That is, the friction mediation was consistent with the presence of nanoscopic surface aggregates, with possible contributions from a gel-like network formed by the polymer chains on the surface. These unprecedented results, correlating self-assembled polymer micelle structure with the surface forces and friction the polymer layers mediate, highlight the potential of polymers with the diblock bottlebrush architecture widespread in biological living systems, in tailoring desired surface interactions in non-polar media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Stevens
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Nicholas M Taylor
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell RG42 6EY, UK
| | - Xueying Guo
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Hadeel Hussain
- Diamond Light Source Ltd, I07 Beamline, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Najet Mahmoudi
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
| | - Beatrice N Cattoz
- Infineum UK Ltd, Milton Hill Business and Technology Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 6BB, UK
| | - Alice H M Leung
- Infineum UK Ltd, Milton Hill Business and Technology Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 6BB, UK
| | - Peter J Dowding
- Infineum UK Ltd, Milton Hill Business and Technology Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 6BB, UK
| | - Brian Vincent
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK
| | - Wuge H Briscoe
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
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Cayer-Barrioz J, Mazuyer D, Tonck A, Yamaguchi E. Frictional rheology of a confined adsorbed polymer layer. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2009; 25:10802-10810. [PMID: 19572533 DOI: 10.1021/la9013398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The sliding dynamics of a confined adsorbed polymer layer is investigated at the nanoscale. A combined mechanical and physical approach is used to model the rheology and structure of the adsorbed layer. The confinement at short distances governs the nanotribological behavior of the polymer layer formed close to the surface. It appears that the Amontons' proportionality between frictional and normal stresses does not hold here: the higher the contact pressure, the lower the friction. Besides, the sliding stress is strongly dependent on the velocity: it increases with the sliding velocity. Using a model based on the kinetics of formation and rupture of adhesive bonds between the two shearing surfaces theoretically accounts for the behavior of this system. This approach allows us to correlate the frictional properties to the molecular organization on the surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Cayer-Barrioz
- Laboratoire de Tribologie et Dynamique des Systèmes-UMR 5513 CNRS/Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully Cedex, France.
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