Anisotropic Random Networks of Semiflexible Polymers

Abstract

Motivated by the organization of crosslinked cytoskeletal biopolymers, we present a semimicroscopic replica field theory for the formation of anisotropic random networks of semiflexible polymers. The networks are formed by introducing random permanent crosslinks which fix the orientations of the corresponding polymer segments to align with one another. Upon increasing the crosslink density, we obtain a continuous gelation transition from a fluid phase to a gel where a finite fraction of the system gets localized at random positions. For sufficiently stiff polymers, this positional localization is accompanied by a {\em continuous} isotropic-to-nematic (IN) transition occuring at the same crosslink density. As the polymer stiffness decreases, the IN transition becomes first order, shifts to a higher crosslink density, and is preceeded by an orientational glass (statistically isotropic amorphous solid) where the average polymer orientations freeze in random directions.

5 pages, 2 figures; final version with expanded discussion to appear in PRL

References in corpus (4)

• Statistical Mechanics of Semiflexible Bundles of Wormlike Polymer Chains
• Randomly Crosslinked Macromolecular Systems: Vulcanisation Transition to and Properties of the Amorphous Solid State
• Structural Polymorphism of the Cytoskeleton: A Model of Linker-Assisted Filament Aggregation
• Role of cross-links in bundle formation, phase separation and gelation of long filaments

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Modeling semiflexible polymer networks
• Force-extension relation of cross-linked anisotropic polymer networks
• Random networks of cross-linked directed polymers
• Cooperative crosslink (un)binding in slowly driven bundles of semiflexible filaments
• Tension-induced binding of semiflexible biopolymers
• Quantitative analyses of the plant cytoskeleton reveal underlying organizational principles
• Elasticity of cross-linked semiflexible biopolymers under tension
• Orientational order and glassy states in networks of semiflexible polymers
• Bundle formation in parallel aligned polymers with competing interactions
• Density fields for branching, stiff networks in rigid confining regions