Effect of chain architecture on properties of self-assembled dendron brushes

We present self-consistent field theory targeted to describe the equilibrium structure of self-assembled solvent-free planar brushes formed by regularly branched polymeric 'surfactants' that adsorb 'head'-on from a polymer melt. By using numerical and analytical approaches we examine how the width of a melt-brush interpenetration zone depends on the surfactant architecture. We demonstrate that the macrocyclization of the surfactant molecules leads to the smallest brush-melt interpenetration compared to linear and starlike variants. Theoretical predictions are compared to results of computer simulations and experiments. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.