POLYMER BRUSHES IN A POOR SOLVENT

The structure of an end-grafted polymer layer immersed in poor solvent is investigated through Monte Carlo simulation based on Edward's Hami ltonian. When the solvent quality becomes sufficiently poor, lateral i nhomogeneities are observed to develop in the monomer density in the d irection parallel to the grafting plane. A micro-phase-separated confo rmation is observed at long times. The length scale characteristic of the micro-phase structure is found to be consistent with a two-dimensi onal random walk. The simulation gives results consistent with the sta bility line predicted by Yeung, Balazs and Jasnow (Macromolecules, 26 (1993) 1914).