Adsorption characteristics of Janus tadpole polymers

Author(s)
Benedikt Vitecek, Christos N. Likos, Ioana C. Gârlea
Abstract

The shape of Janus particles is directly connected to their adsorption behavior. Janus tadpole polymers offer a unique topological architecture that includes competition between entropic, enthalpic, and topological terms in the adsorption free energy; accordingly, non-trivial adsorption behavior patterns are expected. We study the surface adsorption of Janus tadpole polymers by means of Monte Carlo simulations, finding that, depending on which part of the tadpole polymers is preferentially adsorbing on the surface, very different types of behavior for both the adsorbed polymeric phase and of the brush arise. The adsorbed phase and the brush mutually influence each other, leading to a variety of phenomena such as nematic ordering of the adsorbed stiff tadpole tails and intriguing changes in the territoriality of adsorbed ring polymers on the surface. We analyze in detail our findings, revealing the mechanisms behind the organization and ordering, and opening up new possibilities to tune and control the structure of such systems.

Organisation(s)
Computational and Soft Matter Physics
Journal
Journal of Chemical Physics
Volume
160
No. of pages
13
ISSN
0021-9606
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0213433
Publication date
06-2024
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103023 Polymer physics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
General Physics and Astronomy, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/0baaaa8a-25c5-43fa-86c4-41e36fb46f61