Salt-Controlled Vertical Segregation of Mixed Polymer Brushes.

Using the self-consistent field approach, we studied the salt-controlled vertical segregation of mixed polymer brushes immersed into a selective solvent. We considered brushes containing two types of chains: polyelectrolyte (charged) chains and neutral chains. The hydrophobicity of both types of chains is characterized by the Flory-Huggins parameters χC and χN, respectively.

Surface acoustic waves in the continuous spectrum of Bloch waves in piezoelectric one-dimensional phononic crystals.

This paper theoretically investigates surface acoustic waves (SAWs) which emerge within the continuous spectrum of bulk Bloch waves in piezoelectric one-dimensional phononic crystals. Accordingly, these SAWs may be treated as an example of the bound states in the continuum (BIC). The equations which determine the existence of such BIC-SAWs have been derived.

Chains Stiffness Effect on the Vertical Segregation of Mixed Polymer Brushes in Selective Solvent.

The microstructure of the binary polymer brushes in the selective solvent was studied using the numerical lattice self-consisting field approach. The case was considered when the selectivity to the solvent (the Flory-Huggins parameter χ) was varied only for one type of chains (responsive chains) while the others (non-responsive chains) remained hydrophilic (χ = 0). In such a brush, with an increase in the hydrophobicity of the responsive chains, a transition occurs between two two-layer microstructures.

Hybrid Molecules Consisting of Lysine Dendrons with Several Hydrophobic Tails: A SCF Study of Self-Assembling.

In this article, we used the numerical self-consistent field method of Scheutjens-Fleer to study the micellization of hybrid molecules consisting of one polylysine dendron with charged end groups and several linear hydrophobic tails attached to its root. The main attention was paid to spherical micelles and the determination of the range of parameters at which they can appear. A relationship has been established between the size and internal structure of the resulting spherical micelles and the length and number of hydrophobic tails, as well as the number of dendron generations.

Stability of DMPC Liposomes Externally Conjugated with Branched Polyglycerol.

Vesicles formed by DMPC liposomes externally conjugated with branched polyglycerol-dendrons as well as linear PEG in water solution were simulated using the DPD method. Such a structure of vesicles corresponds to the structure of polymer-grafted liposomes obtained experimentally by the post-insertion method, in which polymer chains are fixed on the outer surface of the liposome. The grafting density, generation number and spacer length of grafted dendrons were varied.