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Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
Published on: September 26, 2016
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Communication: Polarizable polymer chain under external electric field in a dilute polymer solution
Yu A Budkov1, A L Kolesnikov2, M G Kiselev1
1G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of NMR Spectroscopy and Numerical Investigations of Liquids, Ivanovo, Russia.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|December 3, 2015
Summary
An external electric field causes polymer chains to swell in a coil state and can induce a transition from a globule to a coil state. This transition can be smooth or abrupt depending on monomer polarizability.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Physics
- Soft Matter Physics
- Theoretical Chemistry
Background:
- Polymer chains exhibit diverse conformational behaviors, including coil and globule states.
- External electric fields can influence the properties of polarizable materials.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for material science applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the conformational changes of polarizable polymer chains under an external electric field.
- To analyze the influence of electric fields on both coil and globule polymer conformations.
- To characterize the nature of field-induced globule-coil transitions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Flory-type self-consistent field theory.
- Modeling the behavior of polarizable polymer chains in homogeneous electric fields.
- Analyzing the impact of monomer polarizability on conformational transitions.
Main Results:
- External electric fields induce swelling in polymer coils.
- Strong electric fields can trigger a globule-coil transition in polymer chains.
- The transition is smooth for low monomer polarizability and a first-order phase transition for high polarizability.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding electric field effects on polymer conformation.
- The findings predict changes in polymer globule density under electric fields.
- This model can aid in optimizing polymer functionalization processes like sorption and dyeing.
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