Stimuli-response of charged diblock copolymer brushes

Following our previous work on the solvent-response of uncharged diblock copolymer brushes (D. Meng and Q. Wang, J. Chem. Phys. 130, 134904 (2009)), we have performed continuum self-consistent field calculations to study the response (i.e., changes of brush height and surface-layer composition) of diblock brushes with only one block charged to various external stimuli, including solvent selectivity, solution pH, ionic strength, and applied electric field. Our study revealed complex interplay among various stimuli, which needs to be well understood in order to design smart surfaces from charged diblock brushes.