Organization of tethered polyoxazoline polymer brushes at the air/water interface

Surface monolayers of short chain poly(methyl oxazoline) (PMeOx) attached to diacylglycerol have been investigated by X-ray and neutron reflectivity in pure systems and in binary mixtures with the unmodified phospholipid DMPC at the air/water interface. Reflectivity curves of pure PMeOx and its mixtures with DMPC indicate an extended conformation of the polymer independent of the available lateral area and pressure. An almost linear increase in the thickness of the polymer layer is found with increasing lateral pressure pi. The thickness of the hydrophobic slab within the surface monolayers decreases continuously upon addition of PMeOx to DMPC. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.