| Abstract
| - We present a systematic comparison between predictions of the complete lattice mean field theory andconfigurational bias lattice Monte Carlo simulations of homopolymers adsorbed on solid surfaces fromsolution. The focus is on moderate chain lengths typical of colloid stabilizers. These chains are too shortto follow asymptotic power law behavior, especially at low bulk concentrations. Monte Carlo and latticemean field results are qualitatively similar. However, mean field predictions on polymer volume fractionprofiles are substantially lower than Monte Carlo data. The discrepancy is more pronounced for dilute bulkvolume fractions and long chains. The various measures of adsorbed layer thickness reflect the underlyingdifference in the volume fraction profiles. The tail root-mean-square thickness, in particular, exhibitsqualitatively different behavior. These findings underscore the necessity for further development of completetheories that go beyond mean field and microscopic approaches that link segmental and chain scales innonhomogenenous environments.
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