The effect of brush thickness on the loading of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) within stimuli-responsive poly-(N,N-(dimethylamino ethyl) methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) polyelectrolyte brushes is reported. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used to grow polymer brushes via a "grafting from" approach. The brush thickness was tuned by varying the polymerization time. Using a new type of sealed reactor, thick brushes were synthesized. A systematic study was performed by varying a single parameter (brush thickness), while keeping all other parameters constant. AuNPs of 13 nm in diameter were attached by incubation. X-ray reflectivity, electron scanning microscopy and ellipsometry were used to study the particle loading, particle distribution and interpenetration of the particles within the brush matrix. A model for the structure of the brush/particle hybrids was derived. The particle number densities of attached AuNPs depend on the brush thickness, as do the optical properties of the hybrids. An increasing particle number density was found for increasing brush thickness, due to an increased surface roughness.

The effect of the brush grafting density on the loading of 13 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into stimuli-responsive poly(N,N-(dimethylamino ethyl) methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes anchored to flat impenetrable substrates is reported. Atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is used to grow polymer brushes via a "grafting from" approach from a 2-bromo-2-methyl-N-(3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl) propanamide (BTPAm)-covered silicon substrate. The grafting density is varied by using mixtures of initiator and a "dummy" molecule that is not able to initiate polymerization. A systematic study is carried out by varying the brush grafting density while keeping all of the other parameters constant. X-ray reflectivity is a suitable tool for investigating the spatial structure of the hybrid, and it is combined with scanning electron microscopy and UV/vis spectroscopy to study the particle loading and interpenetration of the particles within the polymer brush matrix. The particle uptake increases with decreasing grafting density and is highest for an intermediate grafting density because more space between the polymer chains is available. For very low grafting densities of PDMAEMA brushes, the particle uptake decreases because of a lack of the polymer matrix for the attachment of particles. The structure of the surface-grafted polymer chains changes after particle attachment. More water is incorporated into the brush matrix after particle immobilization, which leads to a swelling of the polymer chains in the hybrid material. Water can be removed from the brush by decreasing the relative humidity, which leads to brush shrinking and forces the AuNPs to get closer to each other.

We report on the salt-induced aggregation of citrate-coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) confined within poly­(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes grafted from flat substrates. Compared to highly dispersed AuNPs, a red-shift and broadening of the surface plasmon (SP) band is observed when the AuNPs are confined by the PNIPAM brush matrix due to their close vicinity. Additional red-shifting and broadening occur upon immersion in aqueous salt solutions (1 M NaF, NaCl, NaBr, and KCl). Nanoparticle assemblies are established due to salt-induced aggregation of AuNPs and are dependent on the type of salt. In the presence of KCl, nanoparticle assemblies are built up that result in the formation a second plasmon peak at ∼700 nm. The color change of PNIPAM/AuNP is associated with (1) the collapse of the PNIPAM brushes in the presence of salt and (2) nanoparticle aggregation due to electrostatic screening of the negative charges around the AuNPs by the salt ions. Ion specificity is related to ion-pair association energies and adsorption behavior of ions at the AuNP surface. In addition, we perform a neutron reflectivity experiment to resolve the internal structure of swollen PNIPAM/AuNP hybrids and find that penetrated AuNPs cause PNIPAM chain stretching due to electrostatic repulsion between charged particles in the brush.

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