Publication at Faculty of Science, First Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics |
2009
Abstract
The adsorption of comb homopolymers at the solid–liquid interface and its influence on colloidal stability was studied by a lattice self-consistent field theory. We find that both the adsorbed layer as well as its effect on the colloidal stability are strongly affected by the polymer architecture (the length and the numer of side chains and the length of backbone).
The free ends of the side chains amplify the repulsion between colloid particles dramatically. As a result, in contrast to linear adsorbed homopolymers, that usually promotes flocculation of colloids, comb polymers typically prevent flocculation and stabilise coloids.