Effect of polymer topology on the structure and dynamics of homo and block copolymers in bulk solution and at Liquid/Liquid Interfaces

The behavior of molecules such as polymers in bulk solution and at liquid/liquid interfaces are both scientifically and technologically important and has been the focus of much attention in recent years given the various types of materials that have been successfully assembled in bulk solution and at liquid/liquid interfaces. Polymers do assemble in various ordered aggregates at liquid/liquid interfaces and understanding the effect of polymer topology on the overall behavior of a given polymer at surface and interfaces and especially at liquid/liquid interfaces is very important. Molecular dynamics simulations using a bead-spring model on representative block copolymer architectures in bulk and at liquid/liquid interfaces have been carried out. The results of our detailed investigation on the structure and dynamics of the block copolymers at the interface will be presented and discussed.