Interactions between Polymer-Coated Surfaces in Poor Solvents. 2. Surfaces Coated with AB Diblock Copolymers

Using a two-dimensional self-consistent field theory, we investigate the interaction between two planar surfaces that are sparsely coated with AB diblock copolymers and immersed in solution. The B chains are assumed to be solvophobic. We vary χ AS (the A-solvent interaction) and χ AB (the interaction between the comonomers) and determine the morphology of the layers and the energy of interaction as the surfaces are brought closer together. If the chain is tethered by the end of the B block, the interactions are particularly sensitive to variations in χ AS and χ AB, and altering these parameters provides a means of “tuning” the repulsion or attraction between the surfaces. On the other hand, tethering chains by the A end increases the range of the attractive interaction between the layers. These guidelines are especially useful for controlling the behavior of colloidal particles in solution.