Control of the entropic interactions and phase behavior of athermal nanoparticle/homopolymer thin film mixtures

It is shown that the phase behavior of an athermal thin film nanoparticle/polymer hybrid material of polystyrene (PS) with PS-grafted gold nanoparticles is readily tailored through control of the degrees of polymerization, N and P, of the grafted and the free chains, respectively, and the relative size of the nanoparticle to the average dimensions of both the grafted and the host chains. Complete miscibility or a surface-induced phase transition, leading to segregation of the particles to an interface, is readily achieved in this system.