We report a theoretical study of the equilibrium statistical mechanics of polymer chains end-grafted in the dense liquid state to a surface. We consider the special features which arise when two immiscible polymer species are present. In constrast to ungrafted polymer blends, this system has two distinct scaling regimes of strong immiscibility: endsegregated and fully segregated. We discuss the mixing energy and bistability properties in each regime using approximations valid for large chain elongation.

We have carried out x-ray scattering studies in melts of a series of linear polyisoprenes with highly polar sulfo-zwitterion groups at one end. The zwitterion end groups cause aggregation in good solvents for polyisoprene. The aggregation number depends strongly on the molecular weight of the polyisoprene tails and on the polarity of the solvent. Molecular mechanics simulations of the interactions between the zwitterion head groups suggest tubelike or diskline structures for the aggregates. Spherical structures are not energetically favorable. High resolution synchrotron x-ray scattering studies were carried out for six different (chain) molecular weights between 2000 and 23,000. For low molecular weights (between 2000 and 4000) a tubular structure is found with the tubes organized on a well-defined, two-dimensional triangular lattice with very large domain sizes >2000Å. A structural phase transition to a cubic (bcc) phase with long range order is observed to occur for molecular weights >10,000. The lattice spacing increase over the molecular range was between 95Å (for MW-2000) and 206Å (for MW-23,000). For the high molecular weight melts, annealing transforms the structure from (bcc) (with long range order) to an (fcc) disordered structure with short range order.