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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
Published on: December 24, 2014
Interaction of Planar Brushes with End-Functionalized Carboxylic or Amine Groups: Water Structure, Hydrogen Bonds,
Prapti Kakkar1, Arnau Jurado Romero2, Surya K Mallapragada1
1Ames National Laboratory, and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States.
Abstract:
We present a detailed analysis of two parallel plates grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG) terminated with carboxylic or amine groups, and discuss the cases of opposite and same charge in the presence of electrolytes. We analyze the screening of charged groups by electrolytes, the role of hydrogen bonds in enhancing attraction or repulsion, hydration forces, competitive binding with counterions, and the hydrogen bond network, crucial to stabilizing the system. Our simulations reveal that, for large plate separation, the system is well described as a "Stern layer", characterized by strong counterion binding and a subsequent weak diffuse layer. For short plate separation, the system is characterized by strong correlations among end groups and counterions. We also discuss the relevance of charged carboxylic/amine groups in different problems with a particular emphasis on nanoparticle assembly.
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