Abstract
The chain dimensions of a polymer confined between two plates in dilute and in semi-dilute regimes were studied in the presence of the excluded volume interaction using the mean field theory as originated by Flory. The component of mean dimension perpendicular to the plates, Rz approaches rapidly the plate distance, D with decreasing D/Rz∞, and with increasing expansion factor, α∞, where the suffix ∞ denotes the value of an unconfined chain. Simple relations for the parallel component of the linear expansion factor, αx are derived in the D/Rz∞→0 limit as αx4−αx2=(α∞4−α∞2)(Rz∞/D) in a dilute regime, and as αcx6−αcx4=(α∞6−α∞4)(Rz∞/D)2(C∞*/C) in a semi-dilute regime, where C and C* are the concentration of segment and the crossover concentration, respectively. The former is consistent with the scaling prediction by Daoud and deGennes; however, the latter is inconsistent with it. A plate distance-concentration diagram composed of 4 regimes, of a confined polymer solution is proposed.
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Shiokawa, K. Chain Dimensions of a Polymer Confined between Two Plates: a Mean Field Theoretical Approach. Polym J 23, 885–893 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.23.885
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.23.885