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The European Physical Journal B
ISSN: 1434-6028 (printed version)
ISSN: 1434-6036 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 3 Issue 2 (1998) pp 217-223
Polymer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces
G. Huber, T.A. Vilgis (a)
Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, Postfach 3148, 55021 Mainz, Germany
Received: 29 October 1997 / Revised: 19 December 1997 / Accepted: 6 March 1998
Abstract: The adsorption of a single ideal polymer chain on energetically heterogeneous and rough surfaces is investigated using a variational procedure introduced by Garel and Orland (Phys. Rev. B 55, 226 (1997)). The mean polymer size is calculated perpendicular and parallel to the surface and is compared to the Gaussian conformation and to the results for polymers at flat and energetically homogeneous surfaces. The disorder-induced enhancement of adsorption is confirmed and is shown to be much more significant for a heterogeneous interaction strength than for spatial roughness. This difference also applies to the localization transition, where the polymer size becomes independent of the chain length. The localization criterion can be quantified, depending on an effective interaction strength and the length of the polymer chain.
PACS. 36.20.Ey Conformation (statistics and dynamics) - 61.45.-v Solid-fluid interfaces - 61.43.-j Disordered solids
(a) email: vilgis@mpip-mainz.mpg.de
Article in PDF-Format (326 KB)
Online publication: July 9, 1998
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