For the generation of dense polymer brushes (target grafting density (σ) of 0.5 chains/nm ) a plasma oxidised silicon wafer was immersed in a solution containing 30 μL of silane initiator and 50 μL of Et3N in 30 mL of anhydrous toluene. Silanisation was left to proceed overnight at room temperature (RT). Initiator-coated substrates were then rinsed with ethanol and dried with a stream of N2. The dry thickness of the silane initiator layer was near 1 nm, as measured via spectroscopic ellipsometry. Copious amounts of water and ethanol were rinsed over the substrate surface. Dry PDMAEMA brush-coated substrates were kept in a nitrogen box until used. For the generation of PMETAC brushes, PDMAEMA brush-coated substrates were placed in a solution of 100 mM iodomethane (in DMF) overnight. Upon quaternisation, substrates were rinsed with ethanol and dried with N2.