Micelles, copolymer adsorption onto

Using these models, we isolated factors that control pattern formation in homopolymers tethered to two surfaces, copolymer-coated surfaces and copolymer adsorption onto pinned micelles. Below, we describe each of these systems separately. 

The adsorption of block copolymers can be controlled by different stimuli, in particular by the pH since most of the brushes formed by block copolymers adsorption are polyelectrolyte brushes [129, 130], The group of Armes, for instance, studied the pH-controlled adsorption of a series of block copolymers [131, 132], In the case of copolymers bearing hydrophobic 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate groups (DEA) and a water-soluble zwiterionic poly(2-methacryloyl phosphoryl-choline) (MPC) block, they showed that at low pH the cationic DEA flatted to the anionic silicon surface while the MPC was in contact with the solution [132], At around neutral pH, micelles were formed in solution and adsorbed onto the surface because the DEA core was still weakly cationic. The MPC block formed the micelle coronas. Nevertheless, at higher pH the micelles became less cationic and the adsorption rate decreased. 

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