Analytic theory of the adsorption-desorption transition of Gaussian polymers interacting with a periodic lattice of adsorbing centers

Abstract

Based on the obtained exact analytic solution, we calculate the adsorption-desorption diagram that describes the adsorption of Gaussian polymers onto a rigid surface that bears a periodic array of the adsorbing centers. It is shown that the polymer adsorption onto this substrate is fully governed by a delicate balance between the entropic depletion repulsion of polymers from the rigid surface and their attraction to the adsorbing centers. Magnitudes of these competitive effects are calculated in terms of the reduced overall affinity of the substrate eta(-1) and the reduced separation between the adsorbing centers d. The calculated exact adsorption-desorption diagram eta(d) that describes the equilibrium between the above depletion and adsorption interactions, is shown to obey the scaling law eta approximately d(-1.17).

Adsorption of Block-Polyelectrolytes on an Oppositely Charged Surface

“…However, theoretical modeling offers useful insights into polymer adsorption onto surfaces that can complement experimental data and, in some cases, also provides fundamental information which is difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Relevant researches have been investigated extensively by theory and simulation. ,,,, The adsorption–desorption transition and adsorption conformations of PEs near attractive interfaces are two of the recent research hotspots. ,− Carvalho et al investigated the chain length effect on two different critical surface charge densities (σ c l ) and (σ c nl ) which are obtained, respectively, using linear and nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equations. They found that the deviation between σ c l and σ c nl was small for different chain lengths at low salt concentrations.…”

Exact solution of the thermodynamics and size parameters of a polymer confined to a lattice of finite size: Large chain limit

“…The use of this matrix method on lattices such as those shown in Figs lattices, which are difficult, [26][27][28] if not impossible, to treat using continuum methods. As shown previously in the case of striping, i.e., non-uniform surface chemistry, a shift in the phase transition temperature (critical condition) (−ε/k B T) occurs.…”

Bethe-Peierls approximation for linear monodisperse polymers re-examined

“…z = 2, 3, 4, 6 for one-dimensional, honeycomb, square and triangular lattice, respectively. Chemical and physical topology of the adsorbing surface is known [15,16] to be critically important for the adsorption ability of the surface. This local surface inhomogeneity may be attributed to an inhomogeneity of z and could be treated using the recursive lattice approach as well [17,18,19].…”