Genzer Research Group http://scf.che.ncsu.edu How does substrate geometry affect the surface-initiated controlled polymerization? Jan Genzer (Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) Objective: Investigate the effect of the substrate geometry and solution conditions on the “grafting from” polymerization from solid substrates Methods: computer simulations Fraction of Living polymers (FLP) Increases High Surface Density of Initiators (σ) Increases Active Polymer Findings: 1) Surface crowding leads to increased PDI even in the absence of termination 2) The combined effects of confinement, solvent quality and termination rate have dramatic effects on the molecular weight distribution Medium 160x160x39 100x100x100 40x40x625 Low