Grafted Nanoparticle Penetration Barriers in Polymers: Effect of Entropy*

Understanding the fundamentals of nanoparticle (NP) penetration into soft matter systems is indispensable for numerous applications ranging from targeted nanoparticle-based drug delivery to generating hybrid polymer nanocomposite materials. Hence, it is crucial to identify the parameters which control the extent of NP penetration. Here, we study the penetration of polystyrene-grafted Au nanoparticles (PGNPs) into an entropically/enthalpically coupled soft polymer film. The behaviour of penetration of NPs are two different way, in one case it's penetrating in dispersed manner and in another cases it penetrates in a intact manner.