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Nematic polymers: Excluded‐volume effects
Author(s) -
Kim Y. H.,
Pincus P.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.1979.360180918
Subject(s) - liquid crystal , macromolecule , phase transition , chemistry , isotropy , polymer , excluded volume , phase (matter) , chemical physics , helix (gastropod) , liquid crystalline , crystallography , thermodynamics , condensed matter physics , optics , organic chemistry , physics , ecology , biochemistry , biology , snail
We present a theoretical model which describes a cooperative helix–coil liquid‐crystal phase transition. We show that this model predicts a first‐order phase transition where certain types of chainlike macromolecules in solution make a transition from a nearly coiled to a nearly rigid conformation accompanied by a simultaneous development of long‐range nematic‐type liquid crystalline orientational order. From this model, the phase boundaries between nematic and isotropic phases are obtained as functions of concentration of macromolecules and of other physical parameters.