STRUCTURE OF DENSE POLYMER LAYERS BETWEEN END-GRAFTING AND END-ADSORBING WALLS

The structure of a polymer melt layer confined between two parallel walls in which the chains are grafted at one of their ends to a wall and interact with their free ends with the opposite wall is considered. The theoretical solution based on the self-consistent-field theory is presented and compared with results of the computer simulation performed by means of the cooperative rearrangements method. Both the theory and the simulation show that the structure of the layer can be regarded as consisting of end-rich and end-poor zones adjacent to end-grafting and end-adsorbing walls, respectively. The relative extent of the zones can be influenced by the adsorption energy.