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Akbarishandiz S, Khani S, Maia J. Adhesion dynamics of Janus nanocarriers to endothelial cells: A dissipative particle dynamics study. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:064408. [PMID: 39020963 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.064408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Janus nanocarriers (NCs) provide promising features in interfacial applications such as targeted drug delivery. Herein, we use dissipative particle dynamics simulations to study the adhesion dynamics of NCs with Janus ligand compositions to the endothelial cell as a function of a series of effects, such as the initial orientation, ligand density, shape, and size of Janus NCs. The Janus NCs, with its long axis parallel to the endothelial glycocalyx (EG) layer, has the best penetration depth due to its lower potential energy and the lowest shell entropy loss. Among different shapes of Janus NCs, both the potential energy and the EG entropy loss control the penetration. In fact, at the parallel orientations, Janus shapes with a robust mechanical strength and larger surface area at the EG/water interface can rotate and penetrate more efficiently. An increase in the ligand density of Janus NCs increases entropy losses of both the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic ligands and decreases the potential energy. Thus, for a specific Janus NCs, functionalizing with an appropriate ligand density would help driving forces prevail over barriers of penetration into the EG layer. For a particular ligand density, once the radius of the Janus NCs exceeds the appropriate size, barriers such as hydrophobic ligands and shell entropy losses are also reinforced significantly and surpass driving forces. Our observations reveal that entropy losses for hydrophobic ligands of Janus NCs and for the shell of NCs are decisive for the adhesion and penetration of Janus NCs to endothelial cells.
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Akbarishandiz S, Khani S, Maia J. Adhesion dynamics of functionalized nanocarriers to endothelial cells: a dissipative particle dynamics study. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:9254-9268. [PMID: 38009071 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00865g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Targeted drug delivery to endothelial cells utilizing functionalized nanocarriers (NCs) is an essential procedure in therapeutic and diagnosis therapies. Using dissipative particle dynamics simulation, NCs have been designed and combined with an endothelial environment, such as the endothelial glycocalyx (EG) layer, receptors, water, and cell wall. Furthermore, the energy landscapes of the functionalized NC with the endothelial cell have been analyzed as a function of properties such as the shape, size, initial orientation, and ligand density of NCs. Our results show that an appropriate higher ligand density for each particular NC provides more driving forces than barriers for the penetration of the NCs. Herein we report the importance of shell entropy loss for the NC shape effect on the adhesion and penetration into the EG layer. Moreover, the rotation of the disc shape NC as a wheel during the penetration is an extra driving force for its further inclusion. By increasing the NCs' size larger than the appropriate size for each particular ligand density, due to an increase in the NCs' shell entropy loss, the barriers surpass the driving forces for NC penetration. Furthermore, the parallel orientation provides the NCs with the best penetration capabilities. However, the rotation of the disc shape NCs enhances their diffusion in the perpendicular orientation too. Overall, our findings highlight the crucial role of the shell entropy loss in governing the penetration of NCs. Besides, studying NCs with a homogeneous ligand composition enabled us to cross barriers and probe energetics after the complete inclusion of the NCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Akbarishandiz
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
| | - Shaghayegh Khani
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
| | - Joao Maia
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
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Yang X, Qi HK, Yang QH, Wang C, Luo MB. Height-Switching Dynamics of Mixed Polymer Brushes with Polymers of Different Stiffnesses. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:4847-4854. [PMID: 36944145 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mixed brushes consisting of flexible and semiflexible polymers of the same chain length exhibit a height-switching phenomenon because of rigidity-dependent critical adsorption [Yang et al. Macromolecules 2020, 53, 7369]. Semiflexible polymers stand higher at weak surface attraction (high temperature), but they close to the attractive surface at strong attraction (low temperature). In this work, the height-switching dynamics of the mixed polymer brushes is studied by Metropolis Monte Carlo simulation. The height-switching time is calculated by a sudden change in the surface attraction. Two surface attraction change modes, i.e., the weak-to-strong mode where the attraction is changed from weak to strong and the strong-to-weak mode where it is changed from strong to weak, are investigated. Simulation results show that the height-switching time is related to the grafting density, the polymer stiffness, and surface attraction change mode. We find that the height-switching time is significantly decreased for the strong-to-weak mode. And our results also show that the height switching in the mixed polymer brushes is reversible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yang
- Department of Physics, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, China
| | - Hang-Kai Qi
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
| | - Qing-Hui Yang
- Department of Physics, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Physics, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang 318000, China
| | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027, China
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4
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Lian Z, Qi S. Size Effect of the End-Attached Particle on the Adsorption-Responsive Polymer Switches. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zengju Lian
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Shuanhu Qi
- School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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5
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Qi S, Klushin LI, Skvortsov AM, Schmid F. Adsorption Active Diblock Copolymers as Universal Agents for Unusual Barrier-Free Transitions in Stimuli-Responsive Brushes. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuanhu Qi
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Leonid I. Klushin
- Department of Physics, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
- Institute for Macromolecular Compounds RAS, Bolshoi pr. 31, 1199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Friederike Schmid
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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6
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Koch M, Romeis D, Sommer JU. End-Adsorbing Chains in Polymer Brushes: Pathway to Highly Metastable Switchable Surfaces. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Koch
- Institute Theory of Polymers, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dirk Romeis
- Institute Theory of Polymers, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens-Uwe Sommer
- Institute Theory of Polymers, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Hohe Str. 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Theoretical Physics, Dresden University of Technology, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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7
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Qi S, Klushin LI, Skvortsov AM, Schmid F. Using Copolymers to Design Tunable Stimuli-Reponsive Brushes. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuanhu Qi
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Leonid I. Klushin
- Department of Physics, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
- Institute for Macromolecular Compounds RAS, Bolshoi pr. 31, 1199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Friederike Schmid
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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Santo KP, Vishnyakov A, Brun Y, Neimark AV. Adhesion and Separation of Nanoparticles on Polymer-Grafted Porous Substrates. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:1481-1496. [PMID: 28914540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This work explores interactions of functionalized nanoparticles (NP) with polymer brushes (PB) in a binary mixture of good and poor solvents. NP-PB systems are used in multiple applications, and we are particularly interested in the problem of chromatographic separation of NPs on polymer-grafted porous columns. This process involves NP flow through the pore channels with walls covered by PBs. NP-PB adhesion is governed by adsorption of polymer chains to NP surface and entropic repulsion caused by the polymer chain confinement between NP and the channel wall. Both factors depend on the solvent composition, variation of which causes contraction or expansion of PB. Using dissipative particle dynamics simulations in conjunction with the ghost tweezers free energy calculation technique, we examine the free energy landscapes of functionalized NPs within PB-grafted channels depending on the solvent composition at different PB grafting densities and polymer-solvent affinities. The free energy landscape determines the probability of NP location at a given distance to the surface, positions of equilibrium adhesion states, and the Henry constant that characterizes adsorption equilibrium and NP partitioning between the stationary phase of PB and mobile phase of flowing solvent. We analyze NP transport through a polymer-grafted channel and calculate the mean velocity and retention time of NP depending on the NP size and solvent composition. We find that, with the increase of the bad (poor) solvent fraction and respective PB contraction, NP separation exhibits a transition from the hydrodynamic size exclusion regime with larger NPs having shorter retention time to the adsorption regime with smaller NPs having shorter retention time. The observed reversal of the sequence of elution is reminiscent of the critical condition in polymer chromatography at which the retention time is molecular weight independent. This finding suggests the possibility of the existence of an analogous special regime in nanoparticle chromatography at which NPs with like surface properties elute together regardless of their size. The latter has important practical implications: NPs can be separated by surface chemistry rather than by their size employing the gradient mode of elution with controlled variation of solvent composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolattukudy P Santo
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Aleksey Vishnyakov
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Yefim Brun
- DuPont Central Research & Development , Wilmington, Delaware 19803, United States
| | - Alexander V Neimark
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
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Su CF, Merlitz H, Wu CX, Sommer JU. Mixed brush made of 4-arm stars and linear chains: MD simulations. J Chem Phys 2016; 145:234905. [PMID: 27984868 DOI: 10.1063/1.4971379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the structural properties of binary polymer brushes, composed of functional 4-armed star polymers and chemically identical linear polymers of different molecular weights. The molecular dynamics simulations confirm recent self-consistent field studies, in which a considerable potential of these systems for the design of switchable surfaces has been claimed. The length of the linear chains serves as a control parameter, which, while passing over a critical value, induces a sharp transition of the molecular conformation. We investigate these transitions at different grafting densities and summarize our findings in a phase diagram. The temperature dependence of the brush structure is investigated in a non-selective solvent, and non-trivial variations of the surface composition are observed. The quantity of these latter effects would be insufficient to build switchable systems, and we argue that a minor quantity of solvent selectivity would suffice to enable the desired feature of an environment-responsive coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Fei Su
- Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Holger Merlitz
- Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Chen-Xu Wu
- Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jens-Uwe Sommer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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Qi S, Klushin LI, Skvortsov AM, Schmid F. Polydisperse Polymer Brushes: Internal Structure, Critical Behavior, and Interaction with Flow. Macromolecules 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b02026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuanhu Qi
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Leonid I. Klushin
- Department of Physics, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| | | | - Friederike Schmid
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg
7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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11
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Kreer T. Polymer-brush lubrication: a review of recent theoretical advances. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:3479-3501. [PMID: 27029521 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm02919h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This review compiles recent theoretical advances to describe compressive and shear forces of polymer-brush bilayers, which consist of two opposing brushes in contact. Such model systems for polymer-brush lubrication are frequently used as a benchmark to gain insight into biological problems, e.g., synovial joint lubrication. Based on scaling theory, I derive conformational and collective properties of polymer-brush bilayers in equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium situations, such as shear forces in the linear and nonlinear response regimes of stationary shear and under non-stationary shear. Furthermore, I discuss the influence of macromolecular inclusions and electrostatic interactions on polymer-brush lubrication. Comparisons to alternative analytical approaches, experiments and numerical results are performed. Special emphasis is given to methods for simulating polymer-brush bilayers using molecular dynamics simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kreer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
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12
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Romeis D, Sommer JU. Binary and Bidisperse Polymer Brushes: Coexisting Surface States. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:12496-12504. [PMID: 25723841 DOI: 10.1021/am507959k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In the present work, we consider polydispersity effects on a mixed polymer brush. Two types of polymer chains with different solvent selectivity being densely grafted together onto an impenetrable surface are forming a binary mixed polymer brush. Using a numerical quasi off-lattice self-consistent field method for heterogeneous chains we study the brush profile upon varying the strength of solvent selectivity (e.g., temperature) and the degree of polymerization of the two chain types (N1 and N2, respectively). For a monodisperse brush (N1 = N2) it is well-known, that the two types of polymers segregate into a two-layer structure, if the difference in solvent selectivity is increased. The state where the chains exposed to their good solvent forming the top layer of the brush can be frustrated for shorter chains and an inversion of the layering takes place. In the inverted state, the top layer is formed by long chains exposed to poor solvent covering the layer of shorter chains. By varying the solvent selectivity of the long chains we show that coexistence of the two states occurs,which indicates a discontinuous phase transition scenario for the switching process. We consider further the case of a very low fraction of short chains and find these chains to undergo a conformational transition of first order from a "coil" state, found deep inside the compact brush layer, to a "flower" state, stretching to the top of the brush upon varying the strength of the solvent selectivity. At the transition both states are found to be quasi-stable with an energy barrier of the order of the chain length in units of kBT. The discontinuous nature of the switching process by combining solvent selectivity and bidispersity can be of high interest for the creation of stimuli-responsive surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Romeis
- †Leibniz-Institut fuer Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens-Uwe Sommer
- †Leibniz-Institut fuer Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- ‡Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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Léonforte F, Müller M. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Based Mixed Brushes: A Computer Simulation Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:12450-12462. [PMID: 25634688 DOI: 10.1021/am5076309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymer brushes of fixed molecular weight and grafting density are modeled in the framework of a coarse-grained model with soft, nonbonded interactions and an implicit solvent. This model has been developed to address experimentally relevant, large invariant degrees of polymerization, and nonbonded interactions are expressed via a third-order (virial) expansion of the equation of state. The choice of interaction parameters is intended to mimic the swelling behavior of PNIPAM in water as the temperature increases toward the lower critical solution temperature (T(LCST)). Results of molecular dynamics simulations for one component brushes are compared to experimental data. Mixed brushes incorporating small and large amounts of grafted poly(ethylene glycol) polymers are then considered. The effects of mixing polymer components on the response of the mixed brushes to temperature changes are monitored, and the results are compared to experimental data. In the end, two design principles for biomolecule triggering using temperature-sensitive mixed polymer brushes with functional and switchable end-groups are proposed and studied. This work is in favor of establishing qualitative rules for the design, optimization, and comprehension of binary polymer brushes for bioengineering purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Léonforte
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August-Universität, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Georg-August-Universität, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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14
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Qi S, Klushin LI, Skvortsov AM, Polotsky AA, Schmid F. Stimuli-Responsive Brushes with Active Minority Components: Monte Carlo Study and Analytical Theory. Macromolecules 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuanhu Qi
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg
7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Leonid I. Klushin
- Department of Physics, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| | | | - Alexey A. Polotsky
- Institute of Macromolecular
Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, 31 Bolshoy pr., 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Friederike Schmid
- Institut
für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg
7, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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15
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Cheng J, Vishnyakov A, Neimark AV. Adhesion of nanoparticles to polymer brushes studied with the ghost tweezers method. J Chem Phys 2015; 142:034705. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4905894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Cheng
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Aleksey Vishnyakov
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Alexander V. Neimark
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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16
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Romeis D, Lang M. Excluded volume effects in polymer brushes at moderate chain stretching. J Chem Phys 2014; 141:104902. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4894503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Romeis
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Lang
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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17
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Klushin LI, Skvortsov AM, Polotsky AA, Qi S, Schmid F. Sharp and fast: sensors and switches based on polymer brushes with adsorption-active minority chains. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 113:068303. [PMID: 25148356 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.113.068303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We propose a design for polymer-based sensors and switches with sharp switching transition and fast response time. The switching mechanism involves a radical change in the conformations of adsorption-active minority chains in a brush. Such transitions can be induced by a temperature change of only about ten degrees, and the characteristic time of the conformational change is less than a second. We present an analytical theory for these switches and support it by self-consistent field calculations and Brownian dynamics simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid I Klushin
- Department of Physics, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
| | - Alexander M Skvortsov
- Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy, Professora Popova 14, 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexey A Polotsky
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences, 31 Bolshoy prospekt, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Shuanhu Qi
- Institut für Physik, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Staudinger Weg 7-9, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Friederike Schmid
- Institut für Physik, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Staudinger Weg 7-9, 55099 Mainz, Germany
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