CONTRASTING THE COMPATIBILIZING ACTIVITY OF COMB AND LINEAR COPOLYMERS

Using Monte Carlo computer simulations, we compared the interfacial be havior of various comb and linear copolymers at a penetrable interface , which represents the boundary between two incompatible homopolymers, A and B. The backbone of the combs is composed of A sites (the majori ty of the species in the comb), while the teeth are composed of B site s. We varied the number and length of the teeth and found that combs w ith fewer, longer teeth can more readily localize at the interface tha n combs with multiple, short teeth. In addition, combs will more readi ly localize at the interface than comparable linear multiblocks. The f indings highlight the importance of molecular architecture in determin ing the interfacial activity of copolymers. The results also provide g uidelines for fabricating copolymers that act as the optimal compatibi lizers between immiscible polymers.