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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Swollen-to-globular transition of a self-avoiding polymer confined in a soft tube
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1.
Abstract:
Monte Carlo simulations are presented for the structural transition of a self-avoiding polymer confined in an elastic soft tube, within the Helfrich energy model for the description of a fluctuating surface. Based on the simulation data of the maximum extension of the confined polymer in the tube and of the tube radius, a swollen-to-globular transition is identified where the confined polymer undergoes an abrupt transition from a shape elongated along the tube axis to a globule that is of much smaller dimensions than that of an unperturbed polymer. An extended regime in the parameter space has been explored where various scaling properties can be viewed.
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