Arrested swelling of highly entangled polymer globules

Upon aging, a collapsed long chain evolves from a crumpled state to a self-entangled globule which can be thought of as a large knot. Swelling of an equilibrium globule in good solvent is a two-step process: (i) fast swelling into an arrested stretched structure with conserved entanglement topology followed by (ii) slow disentanglement. Using computer simulation, we found both mass-mass (m-m) and entanglement-entanglement (e-e) power law correlations inside the swollen globule. The m-m correlations are characterized by a set of two exponents in agreement with a Flory-type argument. The e-e correlations are also characterized by two exponents, both of them larger (by approximately 0.3) than the related m-m exponents. We interpret this difference as evidence of distance-dependent repulsion E=-0.3ln((rho)k(B)T between entanglements sliding along the polymer chain.     

Shear-flow-induced unfolding of polymeric globules

The behavior of a single collapsed polymer under shear flow is examined using hydrodynamic simulations and scaling arguments. Below a threshold shear rate gamma[.]{*}, the chain remains collapsed and only deforms slightly, while above gamma[.]{*} the globule exhibits unfolding/refolding cycles. Hydrodynamics are crucial: In the free draining case, gamma[.]{*} scales with the globule radius R as gamma[.]{*} approximately R{-1}, while in the presence of hydrodynamic interactions gamma[.]{*} approximately R. Experiments on the globular von Willebrand protein confirm the presence of an unfolding transition at a well-defined critical shear rate.     

外力驱动作用下高分子链在表面吸附性质的计算机模拟

采用退火法模拟研究受外力F驱动的高分子链在吸引表面的吸附特性.通过高分子链的平均表面接触数〈M〉与温度T之间的关系计算临界吸附温度T_c,并发现T_c随着F的增加而减小;进而通过高分子链的均方回转半径分析外力驱动作用对高分子链构象的影响,并从回转半径极小值或者垂直外力方向的y和z分量的变化交叉校验临界吸附点T_c.模拟计算了处于吸附状态的高分子链随着外力F的增加是否会发生吸附状态到脱附状态的相变以及发生相变所需施加的外力是否由温度所决定.模拟结果表明:两种不同温度下高分子链的吸附性质和构象性质受外力驱动作用而产生不同现象,在温度区间T*_cTT_c时会发生脱附现象,而在TT*_c时不会发生脱附现象.     

Fractal globule as a molecular machine

A fractal (crumpled) polymer globule, which is an unusual equilibrium state of a condensed unknotted macromolecule that is experimentally found in the DNA folding in human chromosomes, has been formed through the hierarchical collapse of a polymer chain. The relaxation dynamics of the elastic network constructed through the contact matrix of the fractal globule has been studied. It has been found that the fractal globule in its dynamic properties is similar to a molecular machine.     

Polymer-attractive spherical cage system

We analyze the structural behavior of a single polymer chain inside an attractive sphere. Our model is composed of a coarse-grained polymer governed by Lennard-Jones interactions of the monomers and an attractive sphere potential which follows by integrating the monomer-monomer interaction over the (inner) surface of the sphere. By means of extensive multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations it is shown that the system exhibits a rich phase diagram in the adsorption strength-temperature (ε ? T) plane ranging from highly ordered and compact to extended and random coil structures and from desorbed to partially or even completely adsorbed conformations. These findings are identified with different energetic and structural observables. The resulting phase diagram in the ε ? T plane is compared with that for a polymer adsorbing to a plane, attractive substrate obtained previously by Möddel, Bachmann, and one of the authors.     

Structure of a collapsed polymer chain with stickers: a single- or multiflower?

Using an amphiphilic copolymer with evenly spaced hydrophobic styrene segments (stickers), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-s-styrene), we recently confirmed a long-standing prediction that such a copolymer chain in a solvent selectively poor for the stickers could self-fold from a random coil to a single-flowerlike core-shell nanostructure. Moreover, we found that the self-folding involves the movement of the sticks to the center and the transition from the random coil to the collapsed globule passes through a proposed ordered coil state.     

Nonequilibrium unfolding of polyelectrolyte condensates in electric fields

Using simulations and scaling methods, the effect of an electric field on a collapsed polyelectrolyte globule is investigated, where conduction by counterions and the polyelectrolyte itself is taken into account. At a critical field E(*), a nonequilibrium transition occurs at which the polyelectrolyte unfolds and aligns parallel to the external field. E(*) is determined using scaling results for the polarizability of a polyelectrolyte globule and exhibits a dependence on the chain length N, E(*) approximately N(-1/2), which might be useful for electrophoretic separation of charged biopolymers.     

Adsorption of hydrophobic polyelectrolytes onto oppositely charged surfaces

We present a scaling theory for the adsorption of a weakly charged polyelectrolyte chain in a poor solvent onto an oppositely charged surface. Depending on the fraction of charged monomers and on the solvent quality for uncharged monomers, the globule in the bulk of the solution has either a spherical conformation or a necklace structure. At sufficiently high surface charge density, a chain in the globular conformation adsorbs in a flat pancake conformation due to the Coulombic attraction to the oppositely charged surface. Different adsorption regimes are predicted depending on two screening lengths (the Debye screening length monitored by the salt concentration and the Gouy-Chapman length monitored by the surface charge density), on the degree of ionization of the polymer and on the solvent strength. At low bulk ionic strength, an increase in the surface charge density may induce a transition from an adsorbed necklace structure to a uniform pancake due to the enhanced screening of the intra-chain Coulombic repulsion by the counterions localized near the surface. Received 12 April 2001     

Formaldehyde decomposition and oxidation on Pt(110)

The decomposition reactions of formaldehyde on clean and oxygen dosed Pt(110) have been studied by LEED, XPS and TPRS. Formaldehyde is adsorbed in two states, a monolayer phase and a multilayer phase which were distinguishable by both TPRS and XPS. The saturated monolayer (corresponding to 8.06 × 10¹⁴ molecules cm⁻²) desorbed at 134 K and the multilayer phase (which could not be saturated) desorbed at 112 K. The only other reaction products observed at higher temperatures were CO and H₂ produced in desorption limited processes and these reached a maximum upon saturation of the formaldehyde monolayer. The desorption spectrum of hydrogen was found to be perturbed by the presence of CO as reported by Weinberg and coworkers. It is proposed that local lifting of the clean surface (1 × 2) reconstruction is responsible for this behaviour. Analysis of the TPRS and XPS peak areas demonstrated that on the clean surface approximately 50% of the adsorbed monolayer dissociated with the remainder desorbing intact. Reaction of formaldehyde with preadsorbed oxygen resulted in the formation of H₂O (hydroxyl recombination) and CO₂ (decomposition of formate) desorbing at 200 and 262 K, respectively. The CO and H₂ desorption peaks were both smaller relative to formaldehyde decomposition on the clean surface and in particular, H₂ desorbed in a reaction limited process associated with decomposition of the formate species. No evidence was found for methane or hydrocarbon evolution in the present study under any circumstances. The results of this investigation are discussed in the light of our earlier work on the decomposition of methanol on the same platinum surface.     

Adsorption of L-Alanine on Cu（111） Studied by Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy

The adsorption of L-alanine on Cu（111） surface is studied by means of scanning tunnelling microscopy under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The results show that the adsorbates are chemisorbed on the surface, and can form a two-dimensional gas phase, chain phase and solid phase, depending on deposition rate and amount. The adsorbed molecules can be imaged as individual protrusions and parallel chains in gas and chain phases respectively. It is also found that alanine can form （2 × 2） superstructure on Cu（111） and copper step facet to （110） directions in solid phase. On the basis of our scanning tunnelling microscopic images, a model is proposed for the Cu（111）（2 ×2）-alanine superstructure. In the model, we point out the close link between （110）-direction hydrogen bond chains with the same direction copper step faceting.     

半刚性高分子链螺旋结构诱导纳米棒的有序结构

在自然界中, 螺旋结构广泛存在. 在熵的驱动下, 高分子链能在某些特殊情形下形成螺旋结构. 采用分子动力学方法研究了高分子链诱导纳米棒的自组装行为, 发现纳米棒/高分子链体系的构象与纳米棒的数量、高分子链的刚性等密切相关. 当纳米棒与高分子链之间存在适度吸附能时, 纳米棒能够形成三种完全不同的构象, 特别是在半刚性高分子链诱导下纳米棒能够形成线型排列. 研究结果对新型材料制备具有一定指导意义.     

UV desorption and photochemistry of dimethylgold hexafluoroacetylacetonate adsorbed on a quartz substrate

The photodesorption and photodecomposition pathways of dimethylgold hexafluoroacetylacetonate, DMG (hfac), adsorbed on a cooled quartz substrate is reported for 222-nm KrCl excimer laser radiation. The time-of-flight (TOF) of neutral photoproducts, desorbed from the surface of the gold film formed during the experiment, were analyzed under collisionless conditions by a differentially-pumped mass spectrometer. Extensive dissociation of adsorbed DMG (hfac) into DMG and the hfac ligand was observed. The ligand was found to recombine with a CH₃ radical on the surface. Translational energy distributions for the detected species were obtained by deconvoluting the TOF curves into a self-consistent set of Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions for the desorbed parent molecule, laser-induced decomposition products, and surface recombination reaction products. The implications of these results for the mechanistic details of the low-pressure, laser-assisted organometallic deposition of DMG(hfac) are discussed.ONT/NRL Research Associate (Nov. 1987-Oct. 1988)NRC/NRL Cooperative Research Associate     

Liquid-crystal phase equilibria of Lennard-Jones chains

Liquid-crystal phase equilibria of Lennard-Jones chain fluids and the solubility of a Lennard-Jones gas in the coexisting phases are calculated from Monte Carlo simulations. Direct phase equilibria calculations are performed using an expanded formulation of the Gibbs ensemble. Monomer densities, order parameters, and equilibrium pressures are reported for the coexisting isotropic and nematic phases of: (1) linear Lennard-Jones chains, (2) a partially-flexible Lennard-Jones chain, and (3) a binary mixture of linear Lennard-Jones chains. The effect of chain length is determined by calculating the isotropic-nematic coexistence of linear Lennard-Jones chain fluids made of 8, 10, and 12 segments (8-, 10-, 12-mer). The effect of molecular flexibility on the isotropic-nematic equilibrium is studied for a Lennard-Jones 10-mer chain fluid with one freely-jointed segment at the end of the chain. An isotropic-nematic phase split and fractionation are reported for a binary mixture of linear 7-mer and 12-mer chains. Simulation results are compared with theoretical results as obtained from a recently developed analytical equation of state based on perturbation theory. Excellent agreement between theory and simulations is observed. The solubility of a monomer Lennard-Jones gas in the coexisting isotropic and nematic phases is estimated using the Widom test-particle insertion method. A linear relationship between solubility difference and density difference at isotropic-nematic coexistence is observed. It is shown that gas solubility is independent of the nematic ordering of the fluid, at constant temperature and density conditions.     

Scaling of a collapsed polymer globule in two dimensions

Extensive Monte Carlo data analysis gives clear evidence that collapsed linear polymers in two dimensions fall in the universality class of athermal, dense self-avoiding walks, as conjectured by Duplantier [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 4274 (1993)].10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.4274 However, the boundary of the globule has self-affine roughness and does not determine the anticipated nonzero topological boundary contribution to entropic exponents. Scaling corrections are due to subleading contributions to the partition function corresponding to polymer configurations with one end located on the globule-solvent interface.     

Synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering study on the conformation of polystyrene in compressed CO2-toluene mixture

Synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was performed to investigate the effect of dissolved CO2 in toluene on the conformation of polystyrene (PS) in the solution. It has been found that the second virial coefficient A2 and the radius of gyration Rg decrease with the increasing antisolvent CO2 pressure. The scattering intensity of PS chain followed l(h)∞h-αunder different antisolvent pressures (0, 0.6, 1.5, 2.4, 3.3, and 4.2 MPa), suggesting that the PS chain has self-similar structure behavior or a fractal structure in the presence of antisolvent CO2.All this reveals a large effect of antisolvent pressure or the solubility of CO2 in the solution on PS structure. The fractal dimensions increase with the increasing antisolvent pressure, indicating that the polymer chain changes from a swollen coil into a rather dense globule in the course of adding antisolvent CO2.     

First observation of two-stage collapsing kinetics of a single synthetic polymer chain

Using a narrowly distributed poly(N-isoporpylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chain with a degree of polymerization (N) of 3100, randomly labeled with pyrene, we have, for the first time, observed the two-stage kinetics of the coil-to-globule transition. Two characteristic relaxation times, tau(fast) for the crumpling of a random coil (approximately 12 ms) and tau(slow) for the collapsing of the crumpled chain to a compact globule (approximately 270 ms), were measured. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence supporting the two-stage collapsing kinetics of single synthetic polymer chain previously proposed by de Gennes, Dawson, and Grosberg.     

Hydrogen isotope replacement reactions on rhenium

The existence of a mobile equilibrium at room temperature between part of the hydrogen adsorbed on rhenium and gaseous hydrogen is demonstrated by the easy exchange of isotopes between the adsorbed layer and the gas phase. The adsorbed gas is desorbed as a mixture of homonuclear molecules (of H₂ or D₂)and of the isotopically mixed species (HD). However, the replacement reactions are not symmetrical; there is a greater proportion of HD in the desorbed gas when deuterium is replaced by hydrogen than in the converse reaction. This kinetic isotope effect is attributed to differences between the zero-point energies of the various hydrogen containing species.Quantatitive agreement between the shapes of the experimentally observed desorption curves and calculated curves is obtained if the zero-point energy of the bond between a surface rhenium atom and deuterium is assigned the value 2.6 kcal mole^?1.     

Chains at interfaces

Simha, together with Frisch and Eirich, was among the first to realize that in energetic interaction with a surface a flexible polymer chain would be under a major conformational constraint which could be analyzed by solving a random walk (diffusional) problem near a barrier. These results stimulated more work, and today we have a fairly good knowledge of the factors which determine polymer adsorption from very dilute solution. Conformational problems arise also when more concentrated systems are used and it has become apparent that as concentration increases the surface phase will, more and more, be scaled by the root mean square diameter of the undeformed macromolecule. One can view the presence of an energetically attractive interface as creating a sink for macromolecules. The closer a polymer solution is to its Θ point, the more easily the polymer in solution can enter the sink and the stronger will be the extent of adsorption. The presence of an interface can thus be seen as a means to produce a phase separation in a polymer system which would otherwise be stable. Coatings of adsorbed polymers over colloidal particles create “macromolecular” solutions, where the “macromolecule” is the colloid particle with its adsorbed coat. This causes polymer segment/polymer segment contacts to dominate the encounter energetically. Hence, the solution behavior of the coated colloid becomes reminiscent of the solution behavior of the polymer in the coat. Stabilization by adsorbed polymer layers derives from converting the original solubility characteristics of the colloid, from what they were, essentially to those of the polymer being used.     

Neutron scattering studies of molecular conformations in liquid crystal polymers

A comblike liquid crystal polymer (LPC) is a polymer on which mesogenic molecules have been grafted. It exhibits a succession of liquid crystal phases. Usually the equilibrium conformation of an ordinary polymeric chain corresponds to a maximum entropy, i.e., to an isotropic spherical coil. How does the backbone of a LCP behave in the nematic and smectic field? Small-angle neutron scattering may answer this question. Such measurements are presented here on four different polymers as a function of temperature. An anisotropy of the backbone conformation is found in all these studied compounds, much more pronounced in the smectic phase than in the nematic phase: the backbone spreads more or less perpendicularly to its hanging cores. A comparison with existing theories and a discussion of these results is outlined.     

Quantum chemical calculations on Al-CVD using DMEAA: surface reaction mechanism of AlH3 on Al(111)

An investigation has been made of the elementary surface reactions of alane and its surface dissociation products using density functional theory and a cluster model to elucidate the reaction mechanism of the deposition of aluminium in aluminium chemical vapour deposition (Al-CVD) using dimethylethylamine alane (DMEAA). Molecular structures, potential energies, and normal mode frequencies of the reactants, the products, and the transition states were calculated for each of the surface elementary reactions. Based on transition state theory, rate constants were estimated from the calculation results. The proposed reaction mechanism is the following. DMEAA is adsorbed onto an aluminium surface without any dissociation in the gas phase; DMEAA dissociates into dimethylethylamine (DMEA) and alane on the surface; DMEA is desorbed and alane remains adsorbed; the adsorbed alane molecules dissociate to AlH₂, AlH, and H on the surface; hydrogen molecules to be desorbed are produced from the hydrogen atoms of AlH whose aluminium atoms form a quasi-aluminium surface on the original surface. The cluster size and structure dependence in quantum chemical calculations has also been considered using model clusters.