Eur. Phys. J. E 13, 125-131 (2004)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/e2004-00049-8

Cylindrical molecular brushes under poor solvent conditions: microscopic observation and scaling analysis

S.S. Sheiko¹, O.V. Borisov², S.A. Prokhorova¹ and M. Möller<sup>1

1</sup>  Organische Chemie III, Universität Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany
²  LRMP/UMR 5067 CNRS UPPA, 2 avenue du Président Angot, Helioparc Pau-Pyrénées, 64053 Pau Cedex 9, France

borisov@univ-pau.fr

(Received 24 June 2002 / Received in final form 27 November 2003 / Published online 25 March 2004)

Abstract
Axial contraction of cylindrical molecular brushes of polymethylmethacrylate was observed by static light scattering and scanning force microscopy. Single brush molecules were visualized as worm-like particles whose length was almost three times shorter than the contour length of the backbone. A somewhat larger length was measured by light scattering in a good solvent. A scaling approach has been used to analyze the driving forces for the axial contraction and the conformation of the molecular brushes.

PACS
36.20.-r - Macromolecules and polymer molecules.
36.20.Ey - Conformation (statistics and dynamics).
61.16.Ch - Scanning probe microscopy: scanning tunneling, atomic force, scanning optical, magnetic force, etc. .

© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2004