Membrane curvature induced by polymer adsorption.
The phenomena resulting from interaction between polymers and membranes pose important problems for biological applications. Based on a scaling theory, we investigate the spontaneous curvature of a membrane induced by either flexible or semiflexible chain adsorption. Irrespective of chain stiffness, a weakly adsorbed polymer induces the membrane to bend away (to have a positive curvature) from the polymer mostly due to increase of the conformational entropy compared with that for a flat surface. On the other hand, a strongly adsorbed polymer induces the membrane to bend toward the polymer mostly due to decrease in the interaction energy, leading to a possibility of encapsulation of polymer by the membrane.
Kim
Y W
YW
Department of Physics and Institute of Polymer Research, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea.
Sung
W
W
D000327:Adsorption; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D019277:Entropy; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers