Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

3.1K
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
3.1K
Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

3.6K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
3.6K
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

3.7K
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
3.7K
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

2.7K
Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
2.7K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.4K
The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael...
2.4K
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.7K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced pancreatic enzyme elevation in melanoma patients: Incidence, management and therapy-A multicentre analysis.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV·2024
Same author

Test of universality at first order phase transitions: The Lebwohl-Lasher model.

The Journal of chemical physics·2024
Same author

Convergence of dissolving and melting at the nanoscale.

Faraday discussions·2023
Same author

In-situ X-ray monitoring of solidification and related processes of metal alloys.

NPJ microgravity·2023
Same author

Adsorption of Semiflexible Polymers in Cylindrical Tubes.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2021
Same author

Nanoparticle diffusion in polymer melts: Molecular dynamics simulations and mode-coupling theory.

The Journal of chemical physics·2020

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.1K

How does stiffness of polymer chains affect their adsorption transition?

A Milchev1, K Binder2

  • 1Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|February 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal how semiflexible polymers adsorb to surfaces. Excluded volume effects are crucial for understanding polymer structure and adsorption transitions, especially for strongly adsorbed chains.

More Related Videos

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.7K
Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
10:37

Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy

Published on: March 16, 2020

10.1K
Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy
09:48

Investigating Single Molecule Adhesion by Atomic Force Spectroscopy

Published on: February 27, 2015

10.7K
Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.5K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Understanding polymer adsorption is key to designing advanced materials.
  • Semiflexible polymers exhibit complex behavior due to chain stiffness and excluded volume interactions.
  • Existing models like the wormlike chain and Kratky-Porod models have limitations in describing adsorbed polymer structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the adsorption transition and structural properties of semiflexible polymers using molecular dynamics.
  • To determine the influence of chain stiffness, length, and adsorption potential on polymer conformation.
  • To identify the role of excluded volume interactions in adsorbed polymer behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of bead-spring polymers.
  • Systematic variation of chain length (N), stiffness (κ, proportional to persistence length ℓp), and adsorption potential strength (ϵwall).
  • Analysis of adsorbed monomer fraction, orientational order, and chain dimensions, with and without excluded volume interactions.

Main Results:

  • Adsorption threshold (ϵwallcr) scales with persistence length as predicted (ϵwallcr∝ℓp-1/3).
  • Excluded volume effects are negligible for large persistence lengths near the transition but significant for strongly adsorbed chains.
  • Orientational correlation length increases from ℓp to 2ℓp near the transition, deviating from 2D chain models due to excluded volume.

Conclusions:

  • Excluded volume is essential for accurately describing the lateral dimensions of long, strongly adsorbed semiflexible polymers.
  • The study provides insights into polymer adsorption phenomena relevant for experimental interpretation.
  • Simulation results highlight the limitations of simplified models for complex polymer systems.