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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Molecular Entanglement and Electrospinnability of Biopolymers
Published on: September 3, 2014
Influence of shear on globule formation in dilute solutions of flexible polymers
Rangarajan Radhakrishnan1, Patrick T Underhill2
1Department of Physics, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Polyelectrolytes, polymers in poor solvents, polymers mixed with particles, and other systems with attractions and repulsions show formation of globules/structures in equilibrium or in flow. To study the flow behavior of such systems, we developed a simple coarse-grained model with short ranged attractions and repulsions. Polymers are represented as charged bead-spring chains and they interact with oppositely charged colloids. Neglecting hydrodynamic interactions, we study the formation of compact polymer structures called globules. Under certain conditions, increase in shear rate decreases the mean first passage time to form a globule. At other conditions, shear flow causes the globules to breakup, similar to the globule-stretch transition of polymers in poor solvents.
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