Triple points in solutions of polydisperse semiflexible polymers.
When a mother solution of semiflexible polymers with differing molecular weights is forced to undergo phase transition, cloud and shadow curves emerge instead of a coexistence curve. For the first time, we calculate the cloud and shadow curves for an isotropic-nematic transition coupled to polydispersity and predict novel triple points. Because of the emergence of new triple points, polydispersity allows the occurrence of anisotropic phases at much lower polymer concentrations than for the monodisperse solutions.
Ghosh
K
K
Department of Physics, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
Muthukumar
M
M
D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013816:Thermodynamics
D011108:Polymers; D012996:Solutions