Effect of confinement on coil-globule transition

Abstract

The equilibrium thermodynamic properties of a linear polymer chain confined to a space between two impenetrable walls (lines) at a distance $D$ under various solvent conditions have been studied using series analysis and exact enumeration technique. We have calculated the end to end distance of polymer chain, which shows a non-monotonic behaviour with inter wall ^M separation $D$. The density distribution profile shows a maxima at a particular value of $(D=)D^{\ast }$. Around this $D^{\ast }$, our results show that the collapse^M transition occurs at higher temperature as compared to its bulk value of 2d and 3d. The variation of $\theta -$ temperature with $D$ shows a re-entrance behaviour. We also calculate the force of compression exerted by the walls (lines) on the polymer.

11 pages with 7 eps figures

References in corpus (5)

• Polymers Confined between Two Parallel Plane Walls
• The Adsorption and Collapse Transitions in a Linear Polymer Chain near an Attractive Wall
• 2-Dimensional Polymers Confined in a Strip
• Does a surface attached globule phase exist ?
• Collapsed and adsorbed states of a directed polymer chain in two-dimensions

Cited by in corpus (5)

• The coil-globule transition of confined polymers
• Hydrophobic homopolymer's coil-globule transition and adsorption onto a hydrophobic surface under different conditions
• The effect of confinement and stiffness on the conformational change of a semiflexible homopolymer chain
• Single polymer gating of channels under a solvent gradient
• Defects induced polymer aggregates: A theoretical study