Adsorption and Pattern Recognition of Polymers at Complex Surfaces with Attractive Stripe-like Motifs

Abstract

We construct the complete structural phase diagram of polymer adsorption at substrates with attractive stripe-like patterns in the parameter space spanned by the adsorption affinity of the stripes and temperature. Results were obtained by extensive generalized-ensemble Monte Carlo simulations of a generic model for the hybrid organic-inorganic system. By comparing with adhesion properties at homogeneous substrates, we find substantial differences in the formation of adsorbed polymer structures if translational invariance at the surface is broken by a regular pattern. Beside a more specific understanding of polymer adsorption processes, our results are potentially relevant for the design of macromolecular pattern recognition devices such as sensors.