Molecular Transport within Polymer Brushes: A FRET View at Aqueous Interfaces

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Quinn A. Besford - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Simon Schubotz - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Soosang Chae - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Ayşe B. Özdabak Sert - , Istanbul Technical University (Author)
  • Alessia C.G. Weiss - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Günter K. Auernhammer - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • Petra Uhlmann - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)
  • José Paulo S. Farinha - , University of Lisbon (Author)
  • Andreas Fery - , Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (Author)

Abstract

Molecular permeability through polymer brush chains is implicated in surface lubrication, wettability, and solute capture and release. Probing molecular transport through polymer brushes can reveal information on the polymer nanostructure, with a permeability that is dependent on chain conformation and grafting density. Herein, we introduce a brush system to study the molecular transport of fluorophores from an aqueous droplet into the external “dry” polymer brush with the vapour phase above. The brushes consist of a random copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) donor-labelled monomer, forming ultrathin brush architectures of about 35 nm in solvated height. Aqueous droplets containing a separate FRET acceptor are placed onto the surfaces, with FRET monitored spatially around the 3-phase contact line. FRET is used to monitor the transport from the droplet to the outside brush, and the changing internal distributions with time as the droplets prepare to recede. This reveals information on the dynamics and distances involved in the molecular transport of the FRET acceptor towards and away from the droplet contact line, which are strongly dependent on the relative humidity of the system. We anticipate our system to be extremely useful for studying lubrication dynamics and surface droplet wettability processes.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number3043
JournalMolecules
Volume27
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2022
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35566393