三维吸附紧密高分子单链的力学性质研究

采用PERM(pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method)算法,研究了吸附在界面附近的紧密高分子链力学行为.发现当界面的吸附能比较大时,紧密高分子链从紧贴于吸附界面到逐渐远离的过程中,其外形会经历4种典型的变化.同时紧密高分子链的尺寸大小如/N、xy/N、z/N,形状参数<δ*>,热力学性质如每个键的平均自由能A/N,平均相互作用能/N等,甚至所受外力的大小都会同时做出相应的变化,其出现变化的位置也一致.特别是随着紧密高分子链离开吸附界面的过程中,作用于高分子链上的外力明显出现几个力学平台,这与实验得到的结果完全一致.同时还研究了弱吸附能的情况,在这种情况下实验是很难进行的.     

平行板间高分子链构象熵的动力学Monte Carlo模拟

用动力学Monte Carlo方法模拟了受限于两平行板之间的高分子链,并用扫描法计算了链的构象熵S,研究了构象熵相对于自由链的减小量(S0-S)与平行板间距D和高分子链长n的关系.结果证实了de Gennes的自由能标度关系,并给出了标度关系适用的范围.当D非常小时,高分子链受到强烈限制,S0-S与n成正比,表明单链节受到平行板的平均排斥作用力与链长无关.随着D增大,平行板对构象熵的影响越来越弱,单链节受到平行板的平均排斥作用力随链长的增长而增大.当D比较大时,平行板对构象熵的影响近似可以忽略,高分子链构象熵与自由空间中的结果一致.     

线形、梳形和星形高分子静态和动态性质的模拟

以梳形高分子为纽带,基于粗粒化分子动力学模拟方法,研究了线形、梳形和星形拓扑结构高分子的静态和动态性质,以揭示稀溶液中高分子链行为与链拓扑结构依赖关系的一般性规律.研究结果表明,随着线形-梳形-星形的链拓扑结构转变,回转半径的标度关系由仅依赖分子聚合度转变为同时依赖链聚合度与臂数或侧链数.分析了星形高分子和梳形高分子的静态和动态性质的特征规律.星形高分子的臂数增加使其尺寸迅速减小,形状则由长椭球形转变为类球形,且扩散系数也随之增加;其均方回转半径(〈R_g〉)和扩散系数(D)与分子聚合度(N)及臂数(f)的标度规律为〈R_g〉~N~(0.581)f~(-0.402),D~N~(-0.763)f~(0.227).梳形高分子的静态与动态性质与分子聚合度及侧链数的依赖关系为〈R_g〉~N~(0.597)f~(-0.212)(每个支化点只有一条侧链)和〈R_g〉~N~(0.599)f~(-0.316)(每个支化点有多条侧链).     

高分子链形状与尺寸关联的Monte Carlo模拟

运用MonteCarlo方法对线型高分子链格点模型的构型进行了模拟,研究了构型的尺寸(采用平方末端距R²,平方回转半径S²来表征)和形状(由非球形因子A表征)之间的关联.对任何长度的高分子链,其关联系数CA,R²和CA,S²均为正值,表明高分子链的形状与尺寸之间存在正关联,即尺寸小的构型其非球形因子A一般也小,反之尺寸大的构型其非球形因子A一般也大.关联系数CA,R²和CA,S²均随链长的增大而减小,近似地与链长的倒数(n^-1)成正比.研究还表明,关联系数的极限值(链长n很大时)与格点的类型无关,与链样本产生的方式也无关,但与链是否考虑排斥体积有关,考虑了排斥体积后,关联系数增大.     

端点附壁的高分子链形状的Monte Carlo模拟

分别基于简立方格点和四面体格点模型对一端吸附在无限大平面的高分子链（平面接枝高分子链）的形状进行了Ｍｏｎｔｅ Ｃａｒｌｏ模拟,结果表明,接枝高分子链的形状更偏离球形,〈Ｌ＾２１〉：〈Ｌ＾２２〉：〈Ｌ＾２３〉的极限值约为１：２．７５：１２．５,其中〈Ｌ＾２１〉,〈Ｌ＾２２〉和〈Ｌ＾２３〉分别为回转半径张量的本征值Ｌ＾２１,Ｌ＾２２和Ｌ＾２３（Ｌ＾２１〈Ｌ＾２２〈Ｌ＾２３）的统计平均;链长相同时,接枝     

高分子链构象性质和溶解性的Monte Carlo模拟

运用Monte Carlo方法对线型高分子链格点模型的构象进行了模拟,研究了单链体系的构象的尺寸（采用均方末端距,均方回转半径来表征）、形状（采用平均非球形因子来表征）和溶解性随溶剂与链段间相互作用能的变化情况.结果表明,、和随着εPS的增大而减小,具有相同的变化规律;随着Δε增大,溶剂变得越来越不利于溶解,高分子链的形状蜷曲为椭球形,高分子线团相互穿插交叠.     

嫁接于平行板的受限紧密高分子链末端距分布函数的研究

采用剪除增加Rosenbluth方法(Pruned-enriched-Rosenbluth method,PERM)算法计算了嫁接于平行板的受限紧密高分子链的末端距分布函数.由于受限紧密高分子链具有各向异性,重点研究了平行板方向x轴上的分布函数P(x),发现P(x)可以表示为ln[P(x)/Pm(x)]/ND-5/3=a0+a1u+a2u2+a3u3(其中u=x/ND-2/3).这里N为链长,Pm(x)为分布函数P(x)的最大值,两平行板的间距为D+1.通过计算P(x)的Shannon熵发现末端距分布函数P(x)的Shannon熵可以用来描述高分子链受限的程度,Shannon熵对平行板间距的变化非常敏感,对于同一链长N,P(x)的Shannon熵会随着D的增大而迅速减小,超过临界值Dc会趋向一个定值,即当D≥Dc时Shannon熵将趋于稳定,也说明了此时受限条件对紧密高分子链影响非常小.同时临界值Dc与链长N有关,Dc~Nλ,其中λ=0.543,并进行了一定的理论分析.     

高分子链在微通道剪切流中的迁移机制及浓度的影响

提出了剪切流中高分子链在微通道内的迁移机制.该机制采用珠-簧链模型表示高分子链,高分子链受剪切作用而被拉伸,相邻珠子之间的流体力学相互作用产生了对称的扰动流场,由于在通道壁面附近对称的流场被破坏,壁面与高分子链间的流体力学相互作用使高分子远离壁面,在强受限时,这种壁面诱导的流体力学相互作用会被屏蔽掉.利用耗散粒子动力学数值模拟了高分子链在微通道压力流中的迁移行为.数值模拟结果表明,在受限较弱时,高分子链向远离壁面的方向迁移,并随着流场增强,远离壁面的趋势越强;在受限较强时,高分子链不会发生远离壁面的行为.实验研究了长链高分子λ-DNA在壁面附近的迁移行为,实验结果及模拟结果与迁移机制预测的结果相吻合,验证了迁移机制的正确性.高分子链浓度会影响高分子链的迁移行为,当高分子链浓度较大时,高分子链在通道宽度方向不会发生迁移现象,意味着随着浓度的增大,壁面与高分子链间的流体力学相互作用会逐渐被屏蔽.     

端基被平面壁吸附的高分子链的Monte Carlo研究

运用Monte Carlo方法研究了端基被无限大平面壁吸附的线型无规飞行链的末端距矢量R的分布P(R)和链的形状,计算了末端距矢量R与z轴（垂直于平板）的夹角θ,链的最大主轴L3与z轴的夹角α,以及R与L3的夹角β的平均值 <θ>、<α>、<β>和各自的分布.得到如下结论： 　　1.端基吸附的高分子链的均方末端距≈(4/3)n,末端距矢量的径向分布为非高斯型,P(R)dR=2A4exp(－A2R2)R3dR,其中n为链长,A2=3/(2n).表明链受到限制后,较小的末端距R的分布概率减小,而较大的R的分布概率增大,导致链变得较为伸展. 　　2.角θ的平均值 <θ>≈45°,分布为P(θ)dθ =sin2θdθ ,表明吸附高分子链的末端极少处于平面附近,即平面对高分子链具有排斥作用 .但角α的平均值 <α>≈55.5°,分布近似为P(α )dα =sinαdα,均与自由链的情况相近,表面平面对最大主轴L3的方向的影响不大. 　　3.端基吸附的高分子链的末端距矢量R与最大主轴L3之间有较强的关联,它们的夹角β的平均值 <β>≈27°,其分布的峰值所对应的β值约为 10°. 　　4.吸附高分子链的形状更偏离球形,形状因子:: 约等于1:2.73:12.5.     

基于蠕虫链模型的半刚性单链高分子的结构因子

生物高分子、液晶高分子和共轭高分子都是具有半刚性性质的一维线型链状分子.半刚性高分子的链长与高分子的持久长度在同一数量级,蠕虫链是最好的用来研究这类半刚性高分子统计性质的理论模型之一.其特性表现为高分子键的取向极大地影响统计行为,同时链的不可伸长性约束了高分子链的构象.这些性质可以通过结构因子的分析来开展研究.结构因子是描述体系在各个尺度上密度关联的物理量,是联系散射实验和高分子理论研究的桥梁,既可以通过散射实验测量,也可以通过理论上对链模型对应的传播子积分得到.由于蠕虫链模型的构象同时依赖位置和取向自由度,因而严格求解其传播子非常困难.这严重限制了蠕虫链模型场论理论的发展,特别是限制了应用高斯涨落理论进行有序结构的稳定性分析.本文综述了广泛采用的蠕虫链模型结构因子的渐近解和经验公式,并着重介绍近年来严格求解结构因子的最新进展.通过分析结构因子在不同波数区域上的标度规律,展示了蠕虫链模型的多尺度特点,以及其他经典的高分子链模型的关系.     

Elastic behavior of uniform star polymer chains

Elastic behaviors of uniform star polymer chains with two to seven branches (namely, functionality f = 2-7) are investigated using Monte Carlo simulation and the bond fluctuation model. Here chain dimensions and thermodynamic properties of uniform star polymer chains during the process of tensile elongation are studied, and comparisons with linear chain are also made. Static properties of chains such as chain sizes and asphericities of chains are calculated, and g-value of g = 〈S²〉_star/〈S²〉_linear decreases with elongation ratio increasing for different functionality f. Thermodynamic properties such as average energy 〈U〉, free energy per bond 〈A′〉 and elastic force F are also investigated during the process of tensile elongation. In the meantime, scatting functions P(q) are calculated for star polymer chains with different functionality f. Additionally, we also discuss the influence of elongation ratio on scattering form factor. The impenetrability of the star cores is known to cause a discontinuity in the osmotic pressure showed through a peak in the scattering functions, and some different behaviors in the tensile process for uniform star chain are obtained.     

Effect of branching and confinement on star-branched polymeric systems

The effect of confinement, number of branches (functionality), and size of the molecules on various properties as a function of temperature of star-branched polymers confined between two walls was studied using Monte Carlo simulations with the parallel tempering technique. The coil-to-globule transition and the liquidlike to solidlike transition, similar to those observed for linear chains, were characterized in all systems by changes in the heat capacity, internal energy, and radius of gyration. The transitions were also characterized by the most probable isomeric structure at a given temperature. The radius of gyration of the star polymers was smaller than the values of linear chains when the number of arms f increased. For star chains with more than f=5 arms the values of the radius of gyration, and therefore the size of the molecules, were similar for every condition of confinement studied, especially at higher temperatures. As confinement was increased, the difference in the radius of gyration of linear chains and star polymers became even larger. The coil-to-globule transition temperatures shifted to higher temperatures as the size of the chains and the number of arms in a molecule were increased. Effects of confinement were higher on the properties of the system at the smallest separations (less than twice the monomer diameter), where the coil-to-globule transition shifted to lower temperatures. The liquidlike to solidlike transition was present at almost the same temperature for different conditions of confinement, chain size, and number of arms. The behavior of the systems for separations between the walls greater than five bead diameters was similar to the behavior in the unconfined case. Hence, no considerable effect of confinement was found above this separation.     

Dynamic Monte Carlo Simulation on the Polymer Chain with One End Grafted on a Flat Surface

A linear polymer chain in good solvent condition with one end grafted on a infinitely large, impenetrable flat surface is investigated using dynamic Monte Carlo simulation on a simple cubic lattice. Chain shape and dimension, angular correlation between the direction of the end‐to‐end vector and that of the longest principal axis of inertia are studied and discussed. Results reveal that the asphericity of end‐grafted polymer chains is greater than that of free ones, the limit ratio 〈L₁²〉 : 〈L₂²〉 : 〈L₃²〉 is about 1 : 3.0 : 14.9. The limit of mean angle 〈θ〉 of end‐grafted chains is about 22°, smaller than that of free chains, indicating angular correlation between the direction of the end‐to‐end vector and that of the longest principal axis is reinforced.     

The properties of a single polymer chain in solvent confined in a slit: A molecular dynamics simulation

A single polymer chain in solvent confined in a slit formed by two parallel plates is studied by using molecular dynamics simulation method. The square radii of gyration and diffusion behaviors of polymers are greatly affected by the distance between the two plates, but they do not follow the same way. The chain size decays drastically with increasing h (h is the distance between two plates), until a basin occurs, and a universal h/〈R _g〉₀ dependence for polymer chains with different degrees of polymerization can be obtained. While, for the chain’s diffusion coefficient, it decays monotonously and there is no such basin-like behavior. Furthermore, we studied the radial distribution function of confined polymer chains to explain the reason why there is a difference for the decay behaviors between dynamic properties and static properties. Besides, we also give the degree of confinement dependence of the static scaling exponent for a single polymer chain. Our work provides an efficient way to estimate the dynamics and static properties of confined polymer chains, and also helps us to understand the behavior of polymer chains under confinement.     

Monte Carlo simulations of star‐branched polymers in a network of obstacles

A simple model of branched polymers in space confined between two parallel plates is developed. Star‐branched polymer molecules are built on a simple cubic lattice with excluded volume and no attractive interactions. A single star molecule is immersed in a network of irregularly dispersed linear rod‐like obstacles. The classical Monte Carlo Metropolis sampling algorithm is employed in the simulation. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of changes in dynamic properties of the star‐branched polymer as functions of the length of the molecule and the concentration of obstacles. Also the mechanism of motion of the polymer is discussed.     

Concentration dependence of the global and anisotropic dimensions of confined macromolecules

The chain dimensions 〈R²〉 of nondilute polymer solutions confined to a slit of the width D were studied using lattice simulations. It was found that the chain compression induced in good solvents by the concentration ϕ is enhanced in a slit relative to the bulk. The global dimensions of chains also change with ϕ in confined and unconfined theta solutions. At intermediate slit widths, a region was noted where coils are squeezed along all three axes. This region is manifested as a channel on the three‐dimensional surface 〈R²〉(D,ϕ) in both good and theta solvents. The coil anisotropy, given by the ratio of the parallel and perpendicular components of the chain dimensions 〈R_y²〉/〈R_x²〉, reaches high values at strong confinements, where coils form quasi‐two‐dimensional pancakes. The concentration‐induced reduction of the global chain dimensions in good solvents is almost fully transmitted to the parallel component 〈R_y²〉. The computed effects of concentration and confinement were compared with the predictions of mean‐field and scaling theories, and implications of the results to ultrathin films and layered nanocomposites were discussed. In addition, the distribution functions of the components of the end‐to‐end distance R perpendicular and parallel to the plates, W (R_x) and W (R_y), were calculated. The function W (R_x) combined with the concentration profile ϕ (x) along the pore provided details of the chain structure close to walls. A marked difference in the pace of the filling up of the depletion layer was noticed between chains in theta and good solvents. From the distribution functions W (R_x) and W (R_y), the highly anisotropic force‐elongation relations imply the deformation of chains in confined solutions and ultrathin bulk films.     

Elastic behavior of single polymer chains adsorbed on rough surfaces

In this paper, elastic behaviors of single polymer chains adsorbed on the rough surfaces with a substrate and some periodically tactic pillars are investigated by the pruned-enriched-Rosenbluth method (PERM). In our simulation, a single polymer chain is firstly adsorbed on the substrate and then pulled along the z-axis direction, which is vertical to the substrate. We investigate the chain size and shape of polymer chains, such as mean-square radii of gyration per bond 〈S²〉_xy/N, 〈S²〉_z/N and shape factor 〈δ^∗〉 in order to show how the size and shape of adsorbed polymer chains change during the desorption process. Due to the occurrences of separation of the chains from the substrate, farther adsorption on the upper surfaces of pillars and complete separation from the whole rough surfaces in the elastic process, the changes of 〈S²〉_xy/N, 〈S²〉_z/N and 〈δ^∗〉 during the process are complicated. On the other hand, some thermodynamic properties such as average energy per bond, average Helmholtz free energy per bond, elastic force f are investigated, and our aim is to study the elastic behaviors of polymer chains adsorbed on the rough surface during the elasticity process. Elastic force f has some plateaus during the desorption process for strong adsorption interaction. If there is no adsorption interaction, the chains can get away from the rough surfaces spontaneously. These investigations can provide some insights into the elastic behaviors of polymer chains adsorbed on the rough surface.     

拉伸分子动力学方法研究聚乙烯单链的力学行为

采用拉伸分子动力学方法(steered molecular dynamics,SMD)研究一端固定的聚乙烯单链(singlepolyethylene chain)在被拉伸过程中的力学性质.在拉伸过程中发现平均拉力〈f〉受拉伸速度v的影响,当v<0.05 nm/ps时,〈f〉在250 pN附近会出现一个拉力平台.聚乙烯单链各部分的形状因子在拉伸过程中表现出一定的规律性,总是头部和尾部的形状因子〈δh〉、〈tδ〉先增加然后才是中间部分〈δm〉增加.如果按顺序再释放被拉开的聚乙烯单链,就会出现力学回滞现象,这与Kellermayer等的力学回滞曲线实验是一致的.力学回滞曲线面积表示耗散能〈Ed〉,与速度v满足方程〈Ed〉=a+b×e-cv,而且在v<0.005 nm/ps和v>0.005 nm/ps两个速度区域有不同的特性.〈Ed〉在不同的分子热运动温度区域,也表现出不同的规律性,当温度T>220 K时,〈Ed〉随着温度T的升高而减小,这与Pegoretti等的实验一致,当T<220 K时〈Ed〉随着温度T的升高而增加.     

Properties of star-branched and linear chains in confined space: a computer simulation study

We studied the properties of simple models of linear and star-branched polymer chains confined in a slit. The polymer chains were built of united atoms and were restricted to a simple cubic lattice. Two macromolecular architectures of the chain linear and star-branched with three branches (of equal length) were studied. The excluded volume was the only potential introduced into the model and thus, the system was athermal. The chains were put between two parallel and impenetrable surfaces. Monte Carlo simulations with a sampling algorithm based on chain’s local changes of conformation were carried out. The differences and similarities in the global size and the structure and of linear and star-branched chains were shown and discussed.