Dendritic Spherical Polymer Brushes: Theory and Self-Consistent Field Modeling

Equilibrium structural properties of polymer brushes formed by dendrons grafted via the root segment onto spherical surfaces (dendritic spherical polymer brushes, DSPB) are studied by means of the Scheutjens–Fleer self-consistent field (SF-SCF) numerical approach and scaling analysis. In particular, we focus on the effects of the variable curvature of the surface on the polymer volume fraction distribution and extension of the individual dendrons in DSPB. A systematic comparison with spherical polymer brushes formed by linear polymer chains (LSPB) end-grafted to the surfaces of the same curvature radii is performed. We demonstrate that the difference in internal structural organization of DSPB and LSPB is most pronounced at small curvature radius of the grafting surface. In particular, the radial distribution of polymer volume fraction in DSPB is close to uniform, whereas in LSPB it decays in the radial direction following a power law. The quasi-plateau polymer volume fraction distribution in DSPB is ensu...