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

Polymers02:34

Polymers

21.1K
21.1K
Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

3.6K
For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
3.6K
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

2.5K
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...
2.5K
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

2.9K
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...
2.9K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

5.4K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
5.4K
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters

2.3K
The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Two-dimensional active polar semiflexible polymer under shear flow.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Dynamical behavior of compound vesicles in wall-bounded shear flow.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Diffusion-Driven X-Ray Two-Dimensional Patterns Denoising.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2020
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 22, 2025

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers
08:00

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Published on: October 25, 2017

7.0K

Self-Attractive Semiflexible Polymers under an External Force Field.

Antonio Lamura1

  • 1Istituto Applicazioni Calcolo, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Amendola 122/D, 70126 Bari, Italy.

Polymers
|November 11, 2022
PubMed
Summary

This study numerically investigates tethered semiflexible polymers with self-attraction under an external force. Stronger attraction and stiffness lead to distinct conformations and sharp force-induced transitions.

Keywords:
mesoscale simulationsnonequilibrium simulationspolymer dynamics

More Related Videos

Flexural Rigidity Measurements of Biopolymers Using Gliding Assays
07:55

Flexural Rigidity Measurements of Biopolymers Using Gliding Assays

Published on: November 9, 2012

10.9K
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

9.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers
08:00

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Published on: October 25, 2017

7.0K
Flexural Rigidity Measurements of Biopolymers Using Gliding Assays
07:55

Flexural Rigidity Measurements of Biopolymers Using Gliding Assays

Published on: November 9, 2012

10.9K
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

9.7K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Computational Biophysics

Background:

  • Semiflexible polymers exhibit complex behavior influenced by internal interactions and external fields.
  • Understanding polymer dynamics is crucial for fields ranging from materials science to molecular biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To numerically investigate the dynamical response of tethered semiflexible polymers with self-attractive interactions under an external force.
  • To explore the effects of varying polymer stiffness and self-interaction strength on chain conformation and response.

Main Methods:

  • Numerical simulations were employed to study the polymer's behavior in two spatial dimensions.
  • The Brownian multi-particle collision method was used to model the heat bath and polymer-environment interactions.
  • Key parameters varied included stiffness and self-interaction strength.

Main Results:

  • Equilibrium conformations ranged from compact structures to double-stranded chains and rods, depending on self-attraction and stiffness.
  • Under an external force, chains at small rigidities initially compact were unwound before full elongation.
  • Double-stranded chains showed a sharp transition from folded to open states, becoming steeper with increased stiffness.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals distinct conformational transitions in semiflexible polymers driven by self-attraction and external forces.
  • Discontinuities in force-extension relations and gyration radius distributions characterize these transitions.
  • Polymer deformation normal to the force decays inversely with applied force magnitude.