Stabilizing Grafted Colloids in a Polymer Melt: Favorable Enthalpic Interactions
Soft Condensed Matter
2009-10-31 v1 Materials Science
Chemical Physics
Abstract
The interactions between spherical colloids covered with end-grafted polymers (brushes) immersed in a polymer melt are studied theoretically. We show that attractive enthalpic interactions between the two polymer species, characterized by a negative Flory parameter (chi<0), can stabilize the colloidal dispersion. The stabilizing mechanism is a result of a structural change from a dry brush, where the melt chains do not penetrate deeply into the brush, to a wet brush, where the free chains penetrate the brush and force the grafted chains to extend into the melt.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0005117,
title = {Stabilizing Grafted Colloids in a Polymer Melt: Favorable Enthalpic Interactions},
author = {I. Borukhov and L. Leibler},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0005117},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
5 pages, 3 double figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E