Orientational Control of Polymer Grafted Nanorods

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02434
• Publication Date: 2016-01-25T20:41:45Z
• Authors: Christina L. Ting; Russell J. Composto; Amalie L. Frischk...
• Keywords: Nanorod; Dewetting; Side chain; Matrix (chemical analysis)

Controllable end-to-end alignment of nanorods in polymer films would enable new applications, especially for metallic nanorods, where coupling surface plasmon resonances can lead to enhanced electric fields (hot spots) between nanorod ends. To achieve alignment, we investigate the dispersion and aggregation behavior brush-coated a chemically identical homopolymer matrix using self-consistent field theory (SCFT). We find good agreement with previous DFT calculations experiments side-by-side alignment. However, also that thermodynamic uniformly grafted will preferentially occur rather than end-to-end. preferential linking, propose different grafting molecular weights (relative length chains) on sides ends nanorods. demonstrate this idea an example system which side brush is chosen so interaction energy purely repulsive, while end chains are shorter has strong attractive well due autophobic dewetting effects. thus show similar brushes entropically driven end-linked organic matrix. The gap tunable by changing weight, therefore enhancement be tunable.