Spatially Resolving Polymer Brush Conformation: Opportunities Ahead

Surfaces that respond to local environmental stimuli offer intriguing possibilities for new surface-based sensing concepts emerge. An attractive concept is push beyond the milli- micrometer lateral resolution limit in sensing, toward ultimate surface-sensitive device; one capable of real-time nanoscopic, or molecular “touch.” This needs an approach spatially transducing information on nanotouch. Polymer brushes are a class surface provides dramatic changes properties depending affect conformation end-tethered polymer chains. However, brush response typically quantified by measuring “height”. That is, ensemble average distance over which density exists away from anchoring (i.e., single parameter describe surface). Moving this conceptual paradigm quantifying height dimension entire under applied stimuli, developing methods resolving chain has very real potential lead extraordinary sciences. In perspective, current paradigms and forward extracting rich details conformational dynamics resolved, can understandings contact, discussed pointed out.