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Electrostatic binding of oppositely charged surfactants to spherical polyelectrolyte brushes.
- Source :
- Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP); May2011, Vol. 13 Issue 20, p9706-9715, 10p
- Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- We use Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations to investigate the formation and structural characteristics of the complex between a spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) and oppositely charged surfactants. Increasing the amount of added surfactants leads to a collapsed conformation of the SPB and the number of adsorbed surfactants exhibits a linear dependence. Nevertheless, the surfactant uptake into the SPB does not increase with further addition of surfactants. It is found that the surfactant length has a strong influence on the SPB conformation and the adsorption properties of surfactant. Upon changing the surfactant length from 3 to 11, the SPB undergoes a swelling-deswelling-reswelling conformational transition. The brush deswelling is due to the increase in the surfactant uptake. The increasing size of adsorbed aggregates is a main reason for reswelling of the SPB. A non-linear relationship between the brush thickness and the grafting density is observed. Especially at intermediate grafting densities, increasing the number of grafted chains has a weak effect on the brush thickness. We also find that a completely collapsed brush conformation occurs at high surfactant/SPB charge ratios or large surfactant lengths, while the brush layer is in a partly collapsed or extended state at an intermediate charge ratio and surfactant length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14639076
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 20
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 60433738
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c0cp02171g