Abstract:
Adsorption of ideal polymers with stiff backbone onto a flat surface is considered theoretically. Both scaling approach and quantitative theory are developed. We predict a self-similar monomer concentration profile c(x) ∼ x -4/3 near the surface (when the distance to the surface x is much smaller than the chain persistence length l /2). The typical conformation of a weakly adsorbed chain can be viewed as a sequence of alternating flat (2-dimensional) trains of wormlike short loops (flat blobs) and coil-like (3-dimensional) loops forming a triple-layer structure: contact layer (x < Δ) of adsorbed fragments virtually laid on the surface, proximal layer (Δ < x < l) of flat blobs, and more dilute distal corona layer (x > l). Here Δ defines the range of monomer/surface attraction, Δ ≪ l. The adsorption transition is continuous. However, its relative width is small (T * is the adsorption temperature, ΔT is the relevant temperature interval): ∼ , i.e. a discontinuous transition in the limit Δ/l↦ 0.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received 10 October 2002 and Received in final form 22 November 2002
RID="a"
ID="a"Permanent address: Physics Department, Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia. e-mail: semenov@polly.phys.msu.ru
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Semenov, A. Adsorption of a semiflexible wormlike chain. Eur. Phys. J. E 9, 353–363 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2002-10092-2
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2002-10092-2