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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Transport properties of rigid, symmetrical oligomeric structures composed of prolate, ellipsoidal subunits
M C López Martinez1, J García de la Torre
1Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Abstract:
We have calculated translational and rotational diffusion coefficients and intrinsic viscosities of oligomeric structures composed of n identical subunits having a prolate ellipsoidal shape with axial ratio p. Results are presented for p = 1-6 for a variety of structures with n = 1-6. We compare our results with those obtained by a different modeling procedure, proposed by other workers, in which the monomeric subunit is represented as a string of touching, colinear spheres. If n and an estimate of p are known, the structure of the oligomer can be. in most cases, unambiguously determined by comparison of the experimental oligomer-to-monomer ratios of a given property with the numerical results of this work. As examples of the applicability of our results, we examine the relationship between structure and properties for neurophysin. bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin and phycocyanin.
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