Internal structure of a thin film of mixed polymeric micelles on a solid/liquid interface

The adsorption of mixed micelles of poly(4-(2-amino hydrochloride- ethylthio)-butylene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide), PAETB₄₉-b-PEO ₂₁₂ and poly(4-(2-sodium carboxylate-ethylthio)-butylene)-block- poly(ethylene oxide), PCETB₄₇-_b-PEO₂₁₂ on solid/liquid interfaces has been studied with light, X-ray, and neutron reflectometry. The structure of the adsorbed layer can be described with a two-layer model consisting of an inner layer formed by the coacervate of the polyelectrolyte blocks PAETB₄₉ and PCETB₄₇ (∼1 nm) and an outer layer of PEO₂₁₂ blocks (∼6 nm). The micelles unfold upon adsorption forming a rather homogeneous flat layer that exposes its polyethylene oxide chains into the solution, thus rendering the surface antifouling after modification with the micelles.