Diffusive growth of a polymer layer by in sity polymerization

Abstract

We consider the growth of a polymer layer on a flat surface in a good solvent by in-situ polymerization. This is viewed as a modified form of diffusion-limited aggregation without branching. We predict theoretically the formation of a pseudo-brush with density rhog(z) \propto z^{-2/3} and characteristic height \propto t^{3}. These results are found by combining a mean-field treatment of the diffusive growth (marginally valid in three dimensions) with a scaling theory (Flory exponent nu =3/5) of the growing polymers. We confirm their validity by Monte Carlo simulations.