Can polymer brushes induce motion of nano-objects?

Prokhorova, S. A.; Kopyshev, Alexey; Ayothi, Ramakrishnan; Zhang, Haining; Rühe, Jürgen

doi:10.1088/0957-4484/14/10/306

Cited by 58 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…For example, SFM was used to detect random shifts of nanosized particles at the surface of grafted dense polymer brush with responsive morphology sensitive to the surrounding vapour phase. [308][309][310] The concept of 'molecular walker' on the basis of responsive macromolecular objects was also known from the literature. [175,311] According to the concept, stimulated directional motion of macromolecular objects on a substrate may be achieved as a result of many induced cyclic conformational transitions provided there is some asymmetry in the macromolecular structure and there are some oriented 'rails' on the surface.…”

Section: First Steps Towards Molecular Walkermentioning

confidence: 99%

Scanning Force Microscopy as Applied to Conformational Studies in Macromolecular Research

Gallyamov

2011

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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The modern state of SFM research on polymer nano-objects including single chains is discussed in comparison with other similar high-resolution microscopy techniques. The range of problems to be solved preferentially by SFM is highlighted. Promising methodology to describe quantitatively the morphology of macromolecular objects is proposed. The main benefits of this algorithm seem to be the apparent mathematical correctness as well as the possibility to estimate errors and the confidence of the numbers obtained. Special attention is paid to the dynamic observations of conformational transitions on a substrate in real time regime. This approach allows one to realise direct control of the adsorbed macromolecules by means of exposure to different vapours. Driving forces of the vapour-induced reorganisation are discussed.

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Section: First Steps Towards Molecular Walkermentioning

confidence: 99%

Scanning Force Microscopy as Applied to Conformational Studies in Macromolecular Research

Gallyamov

2011

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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“…Recently, we have proposed to use the unique conformational properties of so-called polymer brushes to move nanometersized objects that are adsorbed on their top. [14] The brushes consist of polymer chains typically several hundreds of nanometers in length, with one end covalently attached to a solid substrate. [15][16][17] The distance between neighboring chains ranges from 0.5 to 5 nm.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…By using vapor instead of liquid solvents, we have also eliminated capillary forces as a driving mechanism. [14,28] As long as the particle size is always comparable to the length scale of the structure elements, it is natural to assume that the ability to move objects is quite a general feature of all polymer brushes showing nanometer phase separation. It was then found, however, that certain types of mixed brushes do not induce motion at all, but the particles stay at fixed locations.…”

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confidence: 99%

Dynamically Reconfigurable Polymer Films: Impact on Nanomotion

et al. 2006

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The idea of building motors or engines at nanometer dimensions that eventually could themselves manipulate structures of comparable size has grown along with the major breakthroughs in nanotechnology over the last 20 years. This mainly concerns manipulating nanometer-sized objects such as adsorbed macromolecules or nanometer-sized colloids directly using scanning force microscopy (SFM) techniques that first helped to give a closer look at the nanometer-scale world. Such simple mechanical methods still represent the most fruitful approaches for manipulation on the nanometer scale. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In a second line of research, attempts are made to construct nanometer-sized motors that are mostly based on natural complexes, mimicking and utilizing the peculiar properties of protein motors. [9][10][11][12][13] Both approaches are already optimized with respect to their specific field of application: for example, in the case of SFM, precise positioning of single colloids, molecules, and even atoms is possible, but manipulating ensembles of particles in parallel is a nearly intractable task. Protein motors such as kinesin microtubuli are highly efficient by their very nature, but only work in aqueous solutions and within a narrow temperature range where they can operate efficiently. Naturally, both approaches cannot cover all conceivable tasks that might emerge with the ongoing development of nanometer-scale science, such as parallel manipulation of nanometer-sized objects over large areas under a broad range of environmental conditions.Polymer systems in their diversity may offer a range of alternatives, especially in the form of suitably designed thin films. Recently, we have proposed to use the unique conformational properties of so-called polymer brushes to move nanometersized objects that are adsorbed on their top.[14] The brushes consist of polymer chains typically several hundreds of nanometers in length, with one end covalently attached to a solid substrate. [15][16][17] The distance between neighboring chains ranges from 0.5 to 5 nm. Such a high grafting density forces the flexible polymer chains to stretch away from the surface. [18,19] Particularly interesting are multicomponent brushes that consist of two or more different polymers, among which phase separation can occur (Fig. 1a). Such systems can be of two different types: i) brushes consisting of diblock or triblock copolymers covalently attached by one block type to a substrate and thus resulting in a variation in the composition along the chains, and ii) brushes made of a mixture of two homopolymers, each of which is attached to the surface, resulting in a lateral variation in composition. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Together with the restriction of the mobility due to grafting, the phase separation results in a topographical nanometer-scale pattern on the brush surface (Fig. 1b). The size, shape, and composition of these patterns depend on many parameters, such as molecular parameters of the attached chains, the surface free energy o...

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“…Many applications of polymer brushes in the future may rely on the combination of patterning techniques with polymer brush synthesis to achieve spatial control over brush structure, as demonstrated in the last example. One aim of this technique would be to realize transport of nano-and micro-scale cargoes across surfaces [83].…”

Section: Zhou and Huckmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Soluble Responsive Polymer Brushes

Weir

Parnell

2011

Polymers

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Abstract:Responsive polymer brushes possess many interesting properties that enable them to control a range of important interfacial behaviours, including adhesion, wettability, surface adsorption, friction, flow and motility. The ability to design a macromolecular response to a wide variety of external stimuli makes polymer brushes an exciting class of functional materials, and has been made possible by advances in modern controlled polymerization techniques. In this review we discuss the physics of polymer brush response along with a summary of the techniques used in their synthesis. We then review the various stimuli that can be used to switch brush conformation; temperature, solvent quality, pH and ionic strength as well as the relatively new area of electric field actuation We discuss examples of devices that utilise brush conformational change, before highlighting other potential applications of responsive brushes in real world devices.

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Can polymer brushes induce motion of nano-objects?

Cited by 58 publications

References 36 publications

Scanning Force Microscopy as Applied to Conformational Studies in Macromolecular Research

Scanning Force Microscopy as Applied to Conformational Studies in Macromolecular Research

Dynamically Reconfigurable Polymer Films: Impact on Nanomotion

Water Soluble Responsive Polymer Brushes

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