We report on a polymer brush that can be switched between extended (hydrated) and collapsed (dehydrated) chain conformational states just by passing CO2 and an inert gas like N2 in solution alternately. This conformational change allows for reversible adsorption and release of a protein. In contrast to adding acids and bases for pH change, using gases as the trigger makes it possible to repeat the switching cycle many times without salt accumulation.
Chemical Communications
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