INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SURFACES COATED WITH SOLVOPHOBIC AND SOLVOPHILICHOMOPOLYMERS

Using scaling theory, we investigate the interaction between two plana r surfaces that are coated with both A and B homopolymers. The polymer s are tethered by one end and grafted at relatively low densities. The B chains are chosen to be solvophobic, while the A polymers are solvo philic. Calculating the energy of interaction versus distance profile, we find that the curve shows a wide attractive region as the surfaces are compressed. The features of this profile can be tailored by varyi ng the length and grafting densities of the different chains. Our resu lts provide guidelines for controlling the interaction between polymer -coated colloidal particles.