  Polymer bottlebrushes provide intriguing features being relevant both in
nature and in synthetic systems. While their presence in the articular
cartilage optimizes synovial joint lubrication, bottlebrushes offer pathways
for fascinating applications, such as within super- soft elastomers or for drug
delivery. However, the current theoretical understanding lacks completeness,
primarily due to the complicated interplay of many length scales. Herein, we
develop an analytical model that demonstrates how structural properties of
bottlebrushes depend on the concentration, ranging from dilute solutions to
highly concentrated melts. The validity of our model is supported by data from
extensive molecular dynamics simulation. We demonstrate that the hierarchical
structure of bottlebrushes dictates a sequence of conformational changes as the
solution concentration increases. The effect is mediated by screening
ofexcluded volume interactions atsubsequent structural parts ofthe
bottlebrushes. Our findings provide important insights that should enable
improved customization of novel materials based on the architectural design of
polymer bottlebrushes.
