Solvent Effects in Polymer Dynamics

摘要

The properties of solutions of complex fluids such as polymers are of longstanding and current interest. In many solutions of biological and technological importance the solvent quality is poor, i.e., the interaction between two polymer sites (or monomers) is more favorable than the interaction between a polymer site and a solvent molecule. In infinitely dilute solutions, single chains will collapse into globules in a poor solvent, and in semi-dilute and concentrated solutions a precipitation of polymers is possible. One way of dissolving hydrophobic polymers in a poor solvent such as water is to add charged groups along the backbone. The resulting properties reflect a subtle balance between hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, which makes this an interesting class of soft materials. This paper focuses on the importance of incorporating solvent effects appropriately in the theoretical modeling of polymers in poor solvents.