Choose Sides: Differential Polymer Adhesion

AFM-based single molecule desorption measurements were performed on surface end-grafted poly(acrylic acid) monolayers as a function of the pH of the aqueous buffer to study the adhesion properties of polymers that bridge two surfaces. These properties were found to depend on the adhesion forces of both surfaces in a differential manner, which is explained with a simple model in analogy to the Bell-Evans formalism used in dynamic force spectroscopy. The measured interaction forces between the poly(acrylic acid) chains and silicon nitride AFM tips depend on the grafting density of the polymer monolayers as well as on the contour length of the polymer chains. This study demonstrates that the stability of polymer bridges is determined by the adhesion strengths on both surfaces, which can be tuned by using pH-dependent polyelectrolyte monolayers.