ISSN:
0887-6266
Keywords:
chain ends
;
polymer surfaces
;
polymer interfaces
;
surface tension
;
self-consistent field theory
;
molecular weight dependence
;
force between plates
;
compressibility
;
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
We consider the surface of a nearly incompressible polymer melt, extending the usual ground-state analysis of self-consistent field theory to describe finite length polymers in the ground-state potential. To maintain self-consistency, further corrections to the potential are calculated within linear response theory. From this, we find an excess of ends near the surface, followed by a compensating depletion on the Rg length scale, which relies crucially on the finite compressibility of the melt. The attraction of ends to the surface can be described as resulting from a surface potential for ends with a strength on the order of kBT. Our results address the long-standing controversies of the distribution of chain ends, the chain-length dependence of the surface tension, and the interaction between objects immersed in a melt. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Additional Material:
5 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/polb.1995.090331709
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