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We investigate polyelectrolyte brushes using both scaling arguments and molecular dynamics simulations. As a main result, we find a novel collapsed brush phase. In this phase, the height of the brush results from a competition between steric repulsion between ions and monomers and an attractive force due to electrostatic correlations. As a result, the monomer density inside the brush is independent of the grafting density and the polymerization index. For small ionic and monomer radii (or for large Bjerrum length) the brush undergoes a first-order phase transition from the osmotic into the collapsed state.PACS. 61.25.Hq Macromolecular and polymer solutions; polymer melts; swelling -68.45.Ws Other nonelectronic properties -61.20.Qg Structure of associated liquids: electrolytes, molten salts, etc.

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