The combination of specially prepared long linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-seg-styrene) (PNIPAM-seg-PS) segmented copolymer chains and single
molecule force spectroscopy allows the first direct measurement of the
distribution of the desorption force between a PS segment and a PS substrate in
water. In addition, the linear dependence of the most probable desorption force
on the logarithm of the imposed stretching velocity experimentally reveals the
dynamic nature of the adsorption and desorption.
