Early stages of homopolymer collapse

Halperin, A.; Goldbart, Paul M.

doi:10.1103/physreve.61.565

Cited by 121 publications

(200 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(41 reference statements)

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“…Another consequence of the numerology of hexagonal packing is that different states N can share the same energy expressions. Examples are the series Nϭ (2,3,4,5) and the pairs Nϭ (7,8), (17,18), (22,23), (25,26),(28,29), . .…”

Section: Torus Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metastable intermediates in the condensation of semiflexible polymers

2002

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Motivated by results from an earlier Brownian dynamics simulation for the collapse of a single, stiff polymer in a poor solvent ͓B. Schnurr, F. C. MacKintosh, and D. R. M. Williams, Europhys. Lett. 51, 279 ͑2000͔͒ we calculate the conformational energies of the intermediate ͑racquet͒ states suggested by the simulations. In the absence of thermal fluctuations ͑at zero temperature͒ the annealed shapes of these intermediates are welldefined in certain limits, with their major structural elements given by a particular case of Euler's elastica. In appropriate units, a diagram emerges that displays the relative stability of all states, tori, and racquets. We conclude that, in marked contrast to the collapse of flexible polymers, the condensation of semiflexible or stiff polymers generically proceeds via a cascade through metastable intermediates, the racquets, towards a ground state, the torus or ring, as seen in the dynamical simulations.

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Section: Torus Statesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metastable intermediates in the condensation of semiflexible polymers

2002

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“…[10][11][12] In this work, we look at the collective behaviour of several chains in a confined configuration known as "polymer brush". By definition, a polymer brush is a layer of polymers attached with one end to a surface at a sufficiently high grafting density (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arrested Spinodal Decomposition in Polymer Brush Collapsing in Poor Solvent

2015

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We study the Brownian dynamics of flexible and semiflexible polymer chains densely grafted on a flat substrate, upon rapid quenching of the system when the quality of solvent becomes poor and chains attempt collapse into a globular state. The collapse process of such a polymer brush differs from individual chains, both in its kinetics and its structural morphology. We find that the resulting collapsed brush does not form a homogeneous dense layer, in spite of all chain monomers equally attracting each other via a model Lennard-Jones potential. Instead, a very distinct inhomogeneous density distribution in the plane forms, with a characteristic length scale dependent on the quenching depth (or equivalently, the strength of monomer attraction) and the geometric parameters of the brush. This structure is identical to the spinodaldecomposition structure, however, due to the grafting constraint we find no subsequent coarsening: the established random bundling with characteristic periodicity remains as the apparently equilibrium structure. We compare this finding with a recent field-theoretical model of bundling in a semiflexible polymer brush.

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“…Unfortunately, there are comparatively fewer past studies on this expansion process than on the folding (coil to globule) process. [3,4,5] The second case of interest is encountered in the field of confined polymers [6]. A recent advance in nanoscale fabrications and single-chain experiments allows one to manipulate and observe individual polymers, thereby facilitating a number of potential applications in biological as well as nanoscale sciences [7,8,9,10,11,12].…”

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confidence: 99%

Dynamics of Polymer Decompression: Expansion, Unfolding, and Ejection

Sakaue

Yoshinaga

2009

Phys. Rev. Lett.

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The dynamics of polymer decompression from a compact state to swollen conformation can be formally described as nonlinear diffusion. We discuss two basic examples: (i) the expansion, or unfolding from a compact state, and (ii) the ejection of a compressed polymer through a pore. The problem can be solved exactly for case (i), but not for case (ii). Even in such situations, a scheme called uniform approximation is shown to be useful to get a physical insight involved. Its application to the case (ii) is able to account for conflicting numerical data in a consistent way.

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Early stages of homopolymer collapse

Cited by 121 publications

References 41 publications

Metastable intermediates in the condensation of semiflexible polymers

Metastable intermediates in the condensation of semiflexible polymers

Arrested Spinodal Decomposition in Polymer Brush Collapsing in Poor Solvent

Dynamics of Polymer Decompression: Expansion, Unfolding, and Ejection

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