Conformational Properties Of A Semiflexible Polymer Chain: Exact Results On A Hexagonal Lattice

We have investigated conformational properties of a linear semiflexible homopolymer chain in the bulk and adsorption desorption behaviour in the presence of an attractive impenetrable curved surface using lattice models. Since, it is understood that the essential physics associated with the conformational behavior of such polymer chains can be derived from a model of a self avoiding walk (SAW) or directed self avoiding walk (DSAW) on a suitable lattice. Therefore, DSAW model on a two dimensional hexagonal lattice has been solved analytically to study the phase transitions occurring in the semiflexible polymer chain. We have found that the persistent length of the polymer chain is independent of its bending energy and its value is found to be unity for directed walk models for hexagonal lattice. Results obtained in presence of an attractive impenetrable curved surface show that adsorption of stiffer polymer chains take place at a smaller value of monomer surface attraction than the flexible polymer chains in the case when adsorbed parts of the polymer chain do not contribute Boltzmann weight to partition function of the polymer chain due to bending of the polymer chain. However, when adsorbed parts of the semiflexible polymer chain contribute Boltzmann weight due to bending of the polymer chain, critical value of monomer surface attraction required for adsorption of the polymer chain on curved impenetrable surface is found to be independent of bending energy of the semiflexible polymer chain. [Academia Arena, 2009;1(6):1-7]. (ISSN 1553-992X).