Anomalous fluctuations of nematic order in solutions of semiflexible polymers

Abstract

The nematic ordering in semiflexible polymers with contour length $L$ exceeding their persistence length ${\ell }_p$ is described by a confinement of the polymers in a cylinder of radius $r_{eff}$ much larger than the radius $r_{\rho }$, expected from the respective concentration of the solution. Large scale Molecular Dynamics simulations combined with Density Functional Theory are used to locate the Isotropic-Nematic ($I-N$)-transition and to validate this cylindrical confinement. Anomalous fluctuations, due to chain deflections from neighboring chains in the nematic phase are proposed. Considering deflections as collective excitations in the nematically ordered phase of semiflexible polymers elucidates the origins of shortcomings in the description of the $I-N$ transition by existing theories.

arXiv comment5 pages, 5 figures

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Quantized Self-Assembly of Discotic Rings in a Liquid Crystal Confined in Nanopores
• Phase behavior of flexible and semiflexible polymers in solvents of varying quality
• Incorporating particle flexibility in a density functional description of nematics and cholesterics
• Dynamically Crowded Solutions of Infinitely Thin Brownian Needles
• Random Close Packing of Semi-Flexible Polymers in Two Dimensions: Emergence of Local and Global Order
• Splay--density coupling in semiflexible main-chain nematic polymers with hairpins
• Polymeric nematics of associating rods: phase behavior, chiral propagation and elasticity
• The smectic phase in semiflexible polymer materials: A large scale Molecular Dynamics study