  We study theoretically the structure of sliding grafted polymer layers or SGP
layers. These interfacial structures are built by attaching each polymer to the
substrate with a ring-like molecule such as cyclodextrins. Such a topological
grafting mode allows the chains to freely slide along the attachment point.
Escape from the sliding link is prevented by bulky capping groups. We show that
grafts in the mushroom regime adopt mainly symmetric configurations (with
comparable branch sizes) while grafts in dense layers are highly dissymmetric
so that only one branch per graft participates in the layer. Sliding layers on
small colloids or star-like sliding micelles exhibit an intermediate behavior
where the number of longer branches participating in the corona is independent
of the total number of branches. This regime also exists for sliding
surface-micelles comprising less chains but it is narrower.
