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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
Published on: December 24, 2014
Theory of the observed ultralow friction between sliding polyelectrolyte brushes
1Physics Department and Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Complex Systems, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. j.sokoloff@neu.edu
Abstract:
It is shown using a method based on a modified version of the mean field theory of Miklavic and Marcelja [J. Phys. Chem. 92, 6718 (1988)] that it should be possible for osmotic pressure due to the counterions associated with the two polyelectrolyte polymer brush coated surfaces to support a reasonable load (i.e., about 10(6) Pa) with the brushes held sufficiently far apart to prevent entanglement of polymers belonging to the two brushes, thus avoiding what is believed to be the dominant mechanisms for static and dry friction.
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