1
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Paiva WA, Alakwe SD, Marfai J, Jennison-Henderson MV, Achong RA, Duche T, Weeks AA, Robertson-Anderson RM, Oldenhuis NJ. From Bioreactor to Bulk Rheology: Achieving Scalable Production of Highly Concentrated Circular DNA. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2405490. [PMID: 38935929 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202405490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
DNA serves as a model system in polymer physics due to its ability to be obtained as a uniform polymer with controllable topology and nonequilibrium behavior. Currently, a major obstacle in the widespread adoption of DNA is obtaining it on a scale and cost basis that accommodates bulk rheology and high-throughput screening. To address this, recent advancements in bioreactor-based plasmid DNA production is coupled with anion exchange chromatography producing a unified approach to generating gram-scale quantities of monodisperse DNA. With this method, 1.1 grams of DNA is obtained per batch to generate solutions with concentrations up to 116 mg mL-1. This solution of uniform supercoiled and relaxed circular plasmid DNA, is roughly 69 times greater than the overlap concentration. The utility of this method is demonstrated by performing bulk rheology measurements at sample volumes up to 1 mL on DNA of different lengths, topologies, and concentrations. The measured elastic moduli are orders of magnitude larger than those previously reported for DNA and allowed for the construction of a time-concentration superposition curve that spans 12 decades of frequency. Ultimately, these results can provide important insights into the dynamics of ring polymers and the nature of highly condensed DNA dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wynter A Paiva
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Somkene D Alakwe
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Juexin Marfai
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, Shiley Center for Science and Technology, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA
| | - Madigan V Jennison-Henderson
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Rachel A Achong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Tinotenda Duche
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - April A Weeks
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Rae M Robertson-Anderson
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Diego, Shiley Center for Science and Technology, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA
| | - Nathan J Oldenhuis
- Department of Chemistry, College of Engineering and Physical Science, University of New Hampshire, 23 Academic Way, Parsons Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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2
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Sarıyer OS, Erbaş A. Polymer physics view of peripheral chromatin: de Gennes' self-similar carpet. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:054403. [PMID: 38907468 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.054403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Using scaling arguments to model peripheral chromatin localized near the inner surface of the nuclear envelope (NE) as a flexible polymer chain, we discuss the structural properties of the peripheral chromatin composed of alternating lamin-associated domains (LADs) and inter-LADs. Modeling the attraction of LADs to NE by de Gennes' self-similar carpet, which treats the chromatin layer as a polymer fractal, explains two major experimental observations. (i) The high density of chromatin close to the nuclear periphery decays to a constant density as the distance to the periphery increases. (ii) Due to the decreasing mesh size towards the nuclear periphery, the chromatin carpet inside NE excludes molecules (via nonspecific interactions) above a threshold size that depends on the distance from the nuclear periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozan S Sarıyer
- Pîrî Reis University, School of Arts and Sciences, Tuzla 34940, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aykut Erbaş
- UNAM National Nanotechnology Research Center and Institute of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey and University of Silesia, Institute of Physics, 41-500 Katowice, Poland
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3
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Schneck C, Smrek J, Likos CN, Zöttl A. Supercoiled ring polymers under shear flow. NANOSCALE 2024. [PMID: 38639709 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04258h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
We apply monomer-resolved computer simulations of supercoiled ring polymers under shear, taking full account of the hydrodynamic interactions, accompanied, in parallel, by simulations in which these are switched off. The combination of bending and torsional rigidities inherent in these polymers, in conjunction with hydrodynamics, has a profound impact on their flow properties. In contrast to their flexible counterparts, which dramatically deform and inflate under shear [Liebetreu et al., Commun. Mater. 2020, 1, 4], supercoiled rings undergo only weak changes in their overall shape and they display both a reduced propensity to tumbling (at fixed Weissenberg number) and a much stronger orientational resistance with respect to their flexible counterparts. In the presence of hydrodynamic interactions, the coupling of the polymer to solvent flow is capable of bringing about a topological transformation of writhe to twist at strong shear upon conservation of the overall linking number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Schneck
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Materials Physics Center MPC, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Christos N Likos
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Andreas Zöttl
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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4
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Caraglio M, Micheletti C, Orlandini E. Unraveling the Influence of Topology and Spatial Confinement on Equilibrium and Relaxation Properties of Interlocked Ring Polymers. Macromolecules 2024; 57:3223-3233. [PMID: 38616813 PMCID: PMC11008367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
We use Langevin dynamics simulations to study linked ring polymers in channel confinement. We address the in- and out-of-equilibrium behavior of the systems for varying degrees of confinement and increasing topological and geometrical complexity of the interlocking. The main findings are three. First, metric observables of different link topologies collapse onto the same master curve when plotted against the crossing number, revealing a universal response to confinement. Second, the relaxation process from initially stretched states is faster for more complex links. We ascribe these properties to the interplay of several effects, including the dependence of topological friction on the link complexity. Finally, we show that transient forms of geometrical entanglement purposely added to the initial stressed state can leave distinctive signatures in force-spectroscopy curves. The insight provided by the findings could be leveraged in single-molecule nanochannel experiments to identify geometric entanglement within topologically linked rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Caraglio
- Institut
für Theoretische Physik, Universität
Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
| | - Cristian Micheletti
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati—SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, Trieste 34136, Italy
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35100, Italy
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5
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Neill P, Crist N, McGorty R, Robertson-Anderson R. Enzymatic cleaving of entangled DNA rings drives scale-dependent rheological trajectories. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:2750-2766. [PMID: 38440846 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01641b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
DNA, which naturally occurs in linear, ring, and supercoiled topologies, frequently undergoes enzyme-driven topological conversion and fragmentation in vivo, enabling it to perform a variety of functions within the cell. In vitro, highly concentrated DNA polymers form entanglements that yield viscoelastic properties dependent on the topologies and lengths of the DNA. Enzyme-driven alterations of DNA size and shape therefore offer a means of designing active materials with programmable viscoelastic properties. Here, we incorporate multi-site restriction endonucleases into dense DNA solutions to linearize and fragment circular DNA molecules. We pair optical tweezers microrheology with differential dynamic microscopy and single-molecule tracking to measure the linear and nonlinear viscoelastic response and transport properties of entangled DNA solutions over a wide range of spatiotemporal scales throughout the course of enzymatic digestion. We show that, at short timescales, relative to the relaxation timescales of the polymers, digestion of these 'topologically-active' fluids initially causes an increase in elasticity and relaxation times followed by a gradual decrease. Conversely, for long timescales, linear viscoelastic moduli exhibit signatures of increasing elasticity. DNA diffusion, likewise, becomes increasingly slowed, in direct opposition to the short-time behavior. We hypothesize that this scale-dependent rheology arises from the population of small DNA fragments, which increases as digestion proceeds, driving self-association of larger fragments via depletion interactions, giving rise to slow relaxation modes of clusters of entangled chains, interspersed among shorter unentangled fragments. While these slow modes likely dominate at long times, they are presumably frozen out in the short-time limit, which instead probes the faster relaxation modes of the unentangled population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Neill
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92104, USA.
| | - Natalie Crist
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92104, USA.
| | - Ryan McGorty
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92104, USA.
| | - Rae Robertson-Anderson
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92104, USA.
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6
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Micheletti C, Chubak I, Orlandini E, Smrek J. Topology-Based Detection and Tracking of Deadlocks Reveal Aging of Active Ring Melts. ACS Macro Lett 2024:124-129. [PMID: 38198592 PMCID: PMC10883035 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Connecting the viscoelastic behavior of stressed ring melts to the various forms of entanglement that can emerge in such systems is still an open challenge. Here, we consider active ring melts, where stress is generated internally, and introduce a topology-based method to detect and track consequential forms of ring entanglements, namely, deadlocks. We demonstrate that, as stress accumulates, more and more rings are co-opted in a growing web of deadlocks that entrap many other rings by threading, bringing the system to a standstill. The method ought to help the study of topological aging in more general polymer contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Micheletti
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Iurii Chubak
- Sorbonne Université CNRS, Physico-Chimie des électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Università degli studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica "G. Galilei", Via Marzolo 8, I-35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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7
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Goto S, Kim K, Matubayasi N. Unraveling the Glass-like Dynamic Heterogeneity in Ring Polymer Melts: From Semiflexible to Stiff Chain. ACS POLYMERS AU 2023; 3:437-446. [PMID: 38107414 PMCID: PMC10722566 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.3c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Ring polymers are an intriguing class of polymers with unique physical properties, and understanding their behavior is important for developing accurate theoretical models. In this study, we investigate the effect of chain stiffness and monomer density on the static and dynamic behaviors of ring polymer melts using molecular dynamics simulations. Our first focus is on the non-Gaussian parameter of center-of-mass displacement as a measure of dynamic heterogeneity, which is commonly observed in glass-forming liquids. We find that the non-Gaussianity in the displacement distribution increases with the monomer density and stiffness of the polymer chains, suggesting that excluded volume interactions between centers of mass have a strong effect on the dynamics of ring polymers. We then analyze the relationship between the radius of gyration and monomer density for semiflexible and stiff ring polymers. Our results indicate that the relationship between the two varies with chain stiffness, which can be attributed to the competition between repulsive forces inside the ring and from adjacent rings. Finally, we study the dynamics of bond-breakage virtually connected between the centers of mass of rings to analyze the exchanges of intermolecular networks of bonds. Our results demonstrate that the dynamic heterogeneity of bond-breakage is coupled with the non-Gaussianity in ring polymer melts, highlighting the importance of the bond-breaking method in determining the intermolecular dynamics of ring polymer melts. Overall, our study sheds light on the factors that govern the dynamic behaviors of ring polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Goto
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Kang Kim
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Matubayasi
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
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8
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Staňo R, Likos CN, Egorov SA. Mixing Linear Polymers with Rings and Catenanes: Bulk and Interfacial Behavior. Macromolecules 2023; 56:8168-8182. [PMID: 37900098 PMCID: PMC10601540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
We derive and parameterize effective interaction potentials between a multitude of different types of ring polymers and linear chains, varying the bending rigidity and solvent quality for the former species. We further develop and apply a density functional treatment for mixtures of both disconnected (chain-ring) and connected (chain-polycatenane) mixtures of the same, drawing coexistence binodals and exploring the ensuing response functions as well as the interface and wetting behavior of the mixtures. We show that worsening of the solvent quality for the rings brings about a stronger propensity for macroscopic phase separation in the linear-polycatenane mixtures, which is predominantly of the demixing type between phases of similar overall particle density. We formulate a simple criterion based on the effective interactions, allowing us to determine whether any specific linear-ring mixture will undergo a demixing phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Staňo
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School in Physics, University of
Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christos N. Likos
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sergei A. Egorov
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, United States
- Erwin
Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics, Boltzmanngasse 9, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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9
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Polovnikov KE, Slavov B, Belan S, Imakaev M, Brandão HB, Mirny LA. Crumpled polymer with loops recapitulates key features of chromosome organization. PHYSICAL REVIEW. X 2023; 13:041029. [PMID: 38774252 PMCID: PMC11108028 DOI: 10.1103/physrevx.13.041029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Chromosomes are exceedingly long topologically-constrained polymers compacted in a cell nucleus. We recently suggested that chromosomes are organized into loops by an active process of loop extrusion. Yet loops remain elusive to direct observations in living cells; detection and characterization of myriads of such loops is a major challenge. The lack of a tractable physical model of a polymer folded into loops limits our ability to interpret experimental data and detect loops. Here, we introduce a new physical model - a polymer folded into a sequence of loops, and solve it analytically. Our model and a simple geometrical argument show how loops affect statistics of contacts in a polymer across different scales, explaining universally observed shapes of the contact probability. Moreover, we reveal that folding into loops reduces the density of topological entanglements, a novel phenomenon we refer as "the dilution of entanglements". Supported by simulations this finding suggests that up to ~ 1 - 2Mb chromosomes with loops are not topologically constrained, yet become crumpled at larger scales. Our theoretical framework allows inference of loop characteristics, draws a new picture of chromosome organization, and shows how folding into loops affects topological properties of crumpled polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill E. Polovnikov
- Current address: Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3664, Paris, France
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Sergey Belan
- Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Faculty of Physics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim Imakaev
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Hugo B. Brandão
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Leonid A. Mirny
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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10
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Haydukivska K, Blavatska V, Paturej J. Molecular conformations of dumbbell-shaped polymers in good solvent. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:034502. [PMID: 37849089 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.034502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
We study conformational properties of diluted dumbbell polymers composed of two rings attached to both ends of a linear spacer segment. Our investigation involves analytical methods of field theory and bead-spring coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We focus on the influence of the relative length of the spacer segment to the length of side rings on the shape and the relative size of dumbbells as compared to linear polymers of equal mass. We find that dumbbells with short spacers exhibit a significantly more compact structure than linear polymers. Conversely, as the spacer length increases, the influence of the side rings on the size of the dumbbells becomes negligible. Consequently, dumbbell molecules with long spacers attain a size comparable to corresponding linear chains. Our analytical theory accurately predicts a quantitative conformational crossover between the behaviors of short-spacer and long-spacer dumbbells, which is further confirmed by our numerical simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khristine Haydukivska
- Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 79011 Lviv, Ukraine
| | - V Blavatska
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 79011 Lviv, Ukraine
- Dioscuri Centre for Physics and Chemistry of Bacteria, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jarosław Paturej
- Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., 01069 Dresden, Germany
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11
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Ohkuma T, Hagita K, Murashima T, Deguchi T. Miscibility and exchange chemical potential of ring polymers in symmetric ring-ring blends. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3818-3827. [PMID: 37191220 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00108c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Generally, differences of polymer topologies may affect polymer miscibility even with the same repeated units. In this study, the topological effect of ring polymers on miscibility was investigated by comparing symmetric ring-ring and linear-linear polymer blends. To elucidate the topological effect of ring polymers on mixing free energy, the exchange chemical potential of binary blends was numerically evaluated as a function of composition ϕ by performing semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations of a bead-spring model. For ring-ring blends, an effective miscibility parameter was evaluated by comparing the exchange chemical potential with that of the Flory-Huggins model for linear-linear polymer blends. It was confirmed that in the mixed states satisfying χN > 0, ring-ring blends are more miscible and stable than the linear-linear blends with the same molecular weight. Furthermore, we investigated finite molecular weight dependence on the miscibility parameter, which reflected the statistical probability of interchain interactions in the blends. The simulation results revealed that the molecular weight dependence on the miscibility parameter was smaller in ring-ring blends. The effect of the ring polymers on miscibility was verified to be consistent with the change in the interchain radial distribution function. In ring-ring blends, it was indicated that the topology affected miscibility by reducing the effect of the direct interaction between the components of the blends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Ohkuma
- Digital Engineering Division, Bridgestone Corporation, Kodaira, 187-8531, Japan.
| | - Katsumi Hagita
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20, Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, 239-8686, Japan
| | - Takahiro Murashima
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Deguchi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Ohtsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan
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12
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Li YC, Wu ZP, Zong ZH, Cao XZ. Rheological Role of Stiff Nanorings on Concurrently Strengthening and Toughening Polymer Nanocomposites. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:183-188. [PMID: 36692488 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Nanorings, which are increasingly uncovered in natural systems and synthesized in man-made materials, exhibit dynamics distinct from those known for linear chains. We show in this study that, when immersed in a polymer melt matrix, segments of a stiff nanoring (SNR) have more facilitated subdiffusion, i.e., with a larger scaling exponent in the mean squared displacement, than those belonging to one flexible counterpart, while the whole SNR is more suppressed by its surroundings. It is revealed that adding SNRs contributes to achieving the long-anticipated rheological objective of sol- and gel-like characteristics at high and low shearing frequencies, respectively. This study suggests the promising prospect of exploiting SNRs to concurrently strengthen and toughen target polymer nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chao Li
- Department of Physics and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
| | - Zong-Pei Wu
- Department of Physics and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
| | - Ze-Hao Zong
- Department of Physics and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
| | - Xue-Zheng Cao
- Department of Physics and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, College of Physical Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P.R. China
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13
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Staňo R, Likos CN, Smrek J. To thread or not to thread? Effective potentials and threading interactions between asymmetric ring polymers. SOFT MATTER 2022; 19:17-30. [PMID: 36477247 PMCID: PMC9768673 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01177h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We use computer simulations to study a system of two unlinked ring polymers, whose length and bending stiffness are systematically varied. We derive the effective potentials between the rings, calculate the areas of minimal surfaces of the same, and characterize the threading between them. When the two rings are of the same kind, threading of a one ring through the surface of the other is immanent for small ring-ring separations. Flexible rings pierce the surface of the other ring several times but only shallowly, as compared to the stiff rings which pierce less frequently but deeply. Typically, the ring that is being threaded swells and flattens up into an oblate-like conformation, while the ring that is threading the other takes a shape of an elongated prolate. The roles of the threader and the threaded ring are being dynamically exchanged. If, on the other hand, the rings are of different kinds, the symmetry is broken and the rings tend to take up roles of the threader and the threaded ring with unequal probabilities. We propose a method how to predict these probabilities based on the parameters of the individual rings. Ultimately, our work captures the interactions between ring polymers in a coarse-grained fashion, opening the way to large-scale modelling of materials such as kinetoplasts, catenanes or topological brushes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Staňo
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
- Vienna Doctoral School in Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christos N Likos
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Ubertini MA, Smrek J, Rosa A. Entanglement Length Scale Separates Threading from Branching of Unknotted and Non-concatenated Ring Polymers in Melts. Macromolecules 2022; 55:10723-10736. [PMID: 36530522 PMCID: PMC9753756 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Current theories on the conformation and dynamics of unknotted and non-concatenated ring polymers in melt conditions describe each ring as a tree-like double-folded object. While evidence from simulations supports this picture on a single ring level, other works show pairs of rings also thread each other, a feature overlooked in the tree theories. Here we reconcile this dichotomy using Monte Carlo simulations of the ring melts with different bending rigidities. We find that rings are double-folded (more strongly for stiffer rings) on and above the entanglement length scale, while the threadings are localized on smaller scales. The different theories disagree on the details of the tree structure, i.e., the fractal dimension of the backbone of the tree. In the stiffer melts we find an indication of a self-avoiding scaling of the backbone, while more flexible chains do not exhibit such a regime. Moreover, the theories commonly neglect threadings and assign different importance to the impact of the progressive constraint release (tube dilation) on single ring relaxation due to the motion of other rings. Despite that each threading creates only a small opening in the double-folded structure, the threading loops can be numerous and their length can exceed substantially the entanglement scale. We link the threading constraints to the divergence of the relaxation time of a ring, if the tube dilation is hindered by pinning a fraction of other rings in space. Current theories do not predict such divergence and predict faster than measured diffusion of rings, pointing at the relevance of the threading constraints in unpinned systems as well. Revision of the theories with explicit threading constraints might elucidate the validity of the conjectured existence of topological glass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Alberto Ubertini
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelo Rosa
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
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15
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Grest GS, Ge T, Plimpton SJ, Rubinstein M, O’Connor TC. Entropic Mixing of Ring/Linear Polymer Blends. ACS POLYMERS AU 2022; 3:209-216. [PMID: 37065717 PMCID: PMC10103188 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The topological constraints of nonconcatenated ring polymers force them to form compact loopy globular conformations with much lower entropy than unconstrained ideal rings. The closed-loop structure of ring polymers also enables them to be threaded by linear polymers in ring/linear blends, resulting in less compact ring conformations with higher entropy. This conformational entropy increase promotes mixing rings with linear polymers. Here, using molecular dynamics simulations for bead-spring chains, ring/linear blends are shown to be significantly more miscible than linear/linear blends and that there is an entropic mixing, negative χ, for ring/linear blends compared to linear/linear and ring/ring blends. In analogy with small angle neutron scattering, the static structure function S(q) is measured, and the resulting data are fit to the random phase approximation model to determine χ. In the limit that the two components are the same, χ = 0 for the linear/linear and ring/ring blends as expected, while χ < 0 for the ring/linear blends. With increasing chain stiffness, χ for the ring/linear blends becomes more negative, varying reciprocally with the number of monomers between entanglements. Ring/linear blends are also shown to be more miscible than either ring/ring or linear/linear blends and stay in single phase for a wider range of increasing repulsion between the two components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary S. Grest
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Ting Ge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Steven J. Plimpton
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics Departments, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Thomas C. O’Connor
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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16
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Murashima T, Hagita K, Kawakatsu T. Topological Transition in Multicyclic Chains with Structural Symmetry Inducing Stress-Overshoot Phenomena in Multicyclic/Linear Blends under Biaxial Elongational Flow. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Murashima
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai980-8578, Japan
| | - Katsumi Hagita
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka239-8686, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawakatsu
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai980-8578, Japan
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17
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Chen C, Weil T. Cyclic polymers: synthesis, characteristics, and emerging applications. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2022; 7:1121-1135. [PMID: 35938292 DOI: 10.1039/d2nh00242f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic polymers with a ring-like topology and no chain ends are a unique class of macromolecules. In the past several decades, significant advances have been made to prepare these fascinating polymers, which allow for the exploration of their topological effects and potential applications in various fields. In this Review, we first describe representative synthetic strategies for making cyclic polymers and their derivative topological polymers with more complex structures. Second, the unique physical properties and self-assembly behavior of cyclic polymers are discussed by comparing them with their linear analogues. Special attention is paid to highlight how polymeric rings can assemble into hierarchical macromolecular architectures. Subsequently, representative applications of cyclic polymers in different fields such as drug and gene delivery and surface functionalization are presented. Last, we envision the following key challenges and opportunities for cyclic polymers that may attract future attention: large-scale synthesis, efficient purification, programmable folding and assembly, and expansion of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaojian Chen
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
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18
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Polovnikov KE, Nechaev SK, Grosberg AY. Stretching of a Fractal Polymer around a Disc Reveals Kardar-Parisi-Zhang Scaling. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 129:097801. [PMID: 36083665 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.097801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While stretching of a polymer along a flat surface is hardly different from the classical Pincus problem of pulling chain ends in free space, the role of curved geometry in conformational statistics of the stretched chain is an exciting open question. We use scaling analysis and computer simulations to examine stretching of a fractal polymer chain around a disc in 2D (or a cylinder in 3D) of radius R. We reveal that the typical excursions of the polymer away from the surface and curvature-induced correlation length scale as Δ∼R^{β} and S^{*}∼R^{1/z}, respectively, with the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) growth β=1/3 and dynamic exponents z=3/2. Although probability distribution of excursions does not belong to KPZ universality class, the KPZ scaling is independent of the fractal dimension of the polymer and, thus, is universal across classical polymer models, e.g., SAW, randomly branching polymers, crumpled unknotted rings. Additionally, our Letter establishes a mapping between stretched polymers in curved geometry and the Balagurov-Vaks model of random walks among traps.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexander Y Grosberg
- Department of Physics and Center for Soft Matter Research, New York University, 726 Broadway, New York, New York 10003, USA
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19
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Michieletto D, Neill P, Weir S, Evans D, Crist N, Martinez VA, Robertson-Anderson RM. Topological digestion drives time-varying rheology of entangled DNA fluids. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4389. [PMID: 35902575 PMCID: PMC9334285 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31828-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the rheology of polymeric complex fluids that are pushed out-of-equilibrium is a fundamental problem in both industry and biology. For example, to package, repair, and replicate DNA, cells use enzymes to constantly manipulate DNA topology, length, and structure. Inspired by this feat, here we engineer and study DNA-based complex fluids that undergo enzymatically-driven topological and architectural alterations via restriction endonuclease (RE) reactions. We show that these systems display time-dependent rheological properties that depend on the concentrations and properties of the comprising DNA and REs. Through time-resolved microrheology experiments and Brownian Dynamics simulations, we show that conversion of supercoiled to linear DNA topology leads to a monotonic increase in viscosity. On the other hand, the viscosity of entangled linear DNA undergoing fragmentation displays a universal decrease that we rationalise using living polymer theory. Finally, to showcase the tunability of these behaviours, we design a DNA fluid that exhibits a time-dependent increase, followed by a temporally-gated decrease, of its viscosity. Our results present a class of polymeric fluids that leverage naturally occurring enzymes to drive diverse time-varying rheology by performing architectural alterations to the constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK.
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - P Neill
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA
| | - S Weir
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA
| | - D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK
| | - N Crist
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA
| | - V A Martinez
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK
| | - R M Robertson-Anderson
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA.
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20
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Röpert MC, Schußmann MG, Esfahani MK, Wilhelm M, Hirschberg V. Effect of Side Chain Length in Polystyrene POM–POMs on Melt Rheology and Solid Mechanical Fatigue. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Christin Röpert
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 18, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Max G. Schußmann
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 18, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Masood K. Esfahani
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 18, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Manfred Wilhelm
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 18, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Valerian Hirschberg
- Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engesserstraße 18, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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21
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Conformation and structure of ring polymers in semidilute solutions: A molecular dynamics simulation study. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.124953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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22
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Roy PK, Chaudhuri P, Vemparala S. Effect of ring stiffness and ambient pressure on the dynamical slowdown in ring polymers. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:2959-2967. [PMID: 35348146 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01754c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Using extensive molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the slowdown of dynamics in a 3D system of ring polymers by varying the ambient pressure and the stiffness of the rings. Our study demonstrates that the stiffness of the rings determines the dynamics of the ring polymers, leading to glassiness at lower pressures for stiffer rings. The threading of the ring polymers, a unique feature that emerges only due to the topological nature of such polymers in three dimensions, is shown to be the determinant feature of dynamical slowdown, albeit only in a certain stiffness range. Our results suggest a possible framework for exploring the phase space spanned by ring stiffness and pressure to obtain spontaneously emerging topologically constrained polymer glasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Projesh Kumar Roy
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C. I. T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India.
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Pinaki Chaudhuri
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C. I. T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India.
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Satyavani Vemparala
- The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C. I. T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113, India.
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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23
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Hagita K, Murashima T, Ebe M, Isono T, Satoh T. Trapping probabilities of multiple rings in end-linked gels. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.124683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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24
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Mo J, Wang J, Wang Z, Lu Y, An L. Size and Dynamics of a Tracer Ring Polymer Embedded in a Linear Polymer Chain Melt Matrix. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangyang Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P.R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P.R. China
| | - Jian Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Cangzhou Normal University, Cangzhou 061001, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P.R. China
| | - Yuyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P.R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P.R. China
| | - Lijia An
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P.R. China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P.R. China
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25
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Hagita K, Murashima T, Ogino M, Omiya M, Ono K, Deguchi T, Jinnai H, Kawakatsu T. Efficient compressed database of equilibrated configurations of ring-linear polymer blends for MD simulations. Sci Data 2022; 9:40. [PMID: 35136085 PMCID: PMC8825841 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01138-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To effectively archive configuration data during molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of polymer systems, we present an efficient compression method with good numerical accuracy that preserves the topology of ring-linear polymer blends. To compress the fraction of floating-point data, we used the Jointed Hierarchical Precision Compression Number - Data Format (JHPCN-DF) method to apply zero padding for the tailing fraction bits, which did not affect the numerical accuracy, then compressed the data with Huffman coding. We also provided a dataset of well-equilibrated configurations of MD simulations for ring-linear polymer blends with various lengths of linear and ring polymers, including ring complexes composed of multiple rings such as polycatenane. We executed 109 MD steps to obtain 150 equilibrated configurations. The combination of JHPCN-DF and SZ compression achieved the best compression ratio for all cases. Therefore, the proposed method enables efficient archiving of MD trajectories. Moreover, the publicly available dataset of ring-linear polymer blends can be employed for studies of mathematical methods, including topology analysis and data compression, as well as MD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hagita
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20, Hashirimizu, Yokosuka, 239-8686, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Murashima
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Masao Ogino
- Faculty of Informatics, Daido University, 10-3 Takiharu-cho, Minami-ku, Nagoya, 457-8530, Japan
| | - Manabu Omiya
- Information Initiative Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 11, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0811, Japan
| | - Kenji Ono
- Research Institute for Information Technology, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Deguchi
- Department of Physics, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Ohtsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Jinnai
- Institute of Multidisciplinary for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawakatsu
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
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26
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Goodson AD, Rick MS, Troxler JE, Ashbaugh HS, Albert JNL. Blending Linear and Cyclic Block Copolymers to Manipulate Nanolithographic Feature Dimensions. ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS 2022; 4:327-337. [PMID: 35059643 PMCID: PMC8762643 DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.1c01313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymers (BCPs) consist of two or more covalently bound chemically distinct homopolymer blocks. These macromolecules have emerging applications in photonics, membrane separations, and nanolithography stemming from their self-assembly into regular nanoscale structures. Theory suggests that cyclic BCPs should form features up to 40% smaller than their linear analogs while also exhibiting superior thin-film stability and assembly dynamics. However, the complex syntheses required to produce cyclic polymers mean that a need for pure cyclic BCPs would present a challenge to large-scale manufacturing. Here, we employ dissipative particle dynamics simulations to probe the self-assembly behavior of cyclic/linear BCP blends, focusing on nanofeature size and interfacial width as these qualities are critical to nanopatterning applications. We find that for mixtures of symmetric cyclic and linear polymers with equivalent lengths, up to 10% synthetic impurity has a minimal impact on cyclic BCP feature dimensions and interfacial roughness. On the other hand, blending with cyclic BCPs provides a route to "fine-tune" linear BCP feature sizes. We analyze simulated blend domain spacings within the context of strong segregation theory and find significant deviations between simulation and theory that arise from molecular-level packing motifs not included in theory. These insights into blend self-assembly will assist experimentalists in rationally designing BCP materials for advanced nanolithography applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy D. Goodson
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Maxwell S. Rick
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Jessie E. Troxler
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Henry S. Ashbaugh
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
| | - Julie N. L. Albert
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, United States
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27
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Peddireddy KR, Michieletto D, Aguirre G, Garamella J, Khanal P, Robertson-Anderson RM. DNA Conformation Dictates Strength and Flocculation in DNA-Microtubule Composites. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:1540-1548. [PMID: 35549144 PMCID: PMC9239750 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Polymer topology has been shown to play a key role in tuning the dynamics of complex fluids and gels. At the same time, polymer composites, ubiquitous in everyday life, have been shown to exhibit emergent desirable mechanical properties not attainable in single-species systems. Yet, how topology impacts the dynamics and structure of polymer composites remains poorly understood. Here, we create composites of rigid rods (microtubules) polymerized within entangled solutions of flexible linear and ring polymers (DNA) of equal length. We couple optical tweezers microrheology with confocal microscopy and scaled particle theory to show that composites with linear DNA exhibit a strongly nonmonotonic dependence of elasticity and stiffness on microtubule concentration due to depletion-driven polymerization and flocculation of microtubules. In contrast, composites containing ring DNA show a much more modest monotonic increase in elastic strength with microtubule concentration, which we demonstrate arises from the decreased conformational size and increased miscibility of rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik R Peddireddy
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Gina Aguirre
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Jonathan Garamella
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Pawan Khanal
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Rae M Robertson-Anderson
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, California 92110, United States
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28
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Choi JH, Kwon T, Sung BJ. Relative Chain Flexibility Determines the Spatial Arrangement and the Diffusion of a Single Ring Chain in Linear Chain Films. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jong Ho Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Taejin Kwon
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong June Sung
- Department of Chemistry, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
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29
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Hagita K, Murashima T. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Ring Shapes on a Ring Fraction in Ring–Linear Polymer Blends. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hagita
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20, Hashirimizu, Yokosuka 239-8686, Japan
| | - Takahiro Murashima
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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30
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Takashima R, Aoki D, Otsuka H. Synthetic Strategy for Mechanically Interlocked Cyclic Polymers via the Ring-Expansion Polymerization of Macrocycles with a Bis(hindered amino)disulfide Linker. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rikito Takashima
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Daisuke Aoki
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- JST-PRESTO, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Otsuka
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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31
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Murashima T, Hagita K, Kawakatsu T. Viscosity Overshoot in Biaxial Elongational Flow: Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Ring–Linear Polymer Mixtures. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Murashima
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Katsumi Hagita
- Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, 1-10-20, Hashirimizu, Yokosuka 239-8686, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kawakatsu
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
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32
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Parisi D, Kaliva M, Costanzo S, Huang Q, Lutz PJ, Ahn J, Chang T, Rubinstein M, Vlassopoulos D. Nonlinear rheometry of entangled polymeric rings and ring-linear blends. JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY 2021; 65:695-711. [PMID: 35250122 PMCID: PMC8896906 DOI: 10.1122/8.0000186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We present a comprehensive experimental rheological dataset for purified entangled ring polystyrenes and their blends with linear chains in nonlinear shear and elongation. In particular, data for shear stress growth coefficient, steady-state shear viscosity, and first and second normal stress differences are obtained and discussed as functions of shear rate as well as molecular parameters (molar mass, blend composition and decreasing molar mass of linear component in blend). Over the extended parameter range investigated, rings do not exhibit clear transient undershoot in shear, in contrast to their linear counterparts and ring-linear blends. For the latter, the size of the undershoot and respective strain appear to increase with shear rate. Universal scaling of strain at overshoot and fractional overshoot (ratio of maximum to steady-state shear stress growth coefficient) indicates subtle differences in the shear-rate dependence between rings and linear polymers or their blends. The shear thinning behaviour of pure rings yields a slope nearly identical to predictions (-4/7) of a recent shear slit model and molecular dynamics simulations. Data for the second normal stress difference are reported for rings and ring-linear blends. While N 2 is negative and its absolute value stays below that of N 1 , as for linear polymers, the ratio -N 2 /N 1 is unambiguously larger for rings compared to linear polymer solutions with the same number of entanglements (almost by factor of two), in agreement with recent non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Further, -N 2 exhibits slightly weaker shear rate dependence compared to N 1 at high rates, and the respective power-law exponents can be rationalized in view of the slit model (3/7) and simulations (0.6), although further work is needed to unravel the molecular original of the observed behaviour. The comparison of shear and elongational stress growth coefficients for blends reflects the effect of ring-linear threading which leads to significant viscosity enhancement in elongation. Along the same lines, the elongational stress is much larger than the first normal stress in shear, and their ratio is much larger for rings and ring-linear blends compared to linear polymers. This conforms the interlocking scenario of rings and their important role in mechanically reinforcing linear matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Parisi
- Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
- Department of Materials Science & Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
| | - Maria Kaliva
- Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
- Department of Materials Science & Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
| | - Salvatore Costanzo
- Department of Chemical, Materials, and Production Engineering, Federico II University, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pierre J Lutz
- Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR 22, University of Strasbourg, 67034, Strasbourg, France
| | - Junyoung Ahn
- Division of Advanced Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science & Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Taihyun Chang
- Division of Advanced Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science & Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Dimitris Vlassopoulos
- Institute of Electronic Structure & Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete 70013, Greece
- Department of Materials Science & Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
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33
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Parisi D, Costanzo S, Jeong Y, Ahn J, Chang T, Vlassopoulos D, Halverson JD, Kremer K, Ge T, Rubinstein M, Grest GS, Srinin W, Grosberg AY. Nonlinear Shear Rheology of Entangled Polymer Rings. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Parisi
- FORTH and University of Crete, Heraklion 71110, Greece
- Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania 16801, United States
| | - Salvatore Costanzo
- FORTH and University of Crete, Heraklion 71110, Greece
- University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Youncheol Jeong
- Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea
| | - Junyoung Ahn
- Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea
| | - Taihyun Chang
- Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea
| | | | | | - Kurt Kremer
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz 55021, Germany
| | - Ting Ge
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208-0001, United States
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-9976, United States
- Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0808, Japan
| | - Gary S. Grest
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Watee Srinin
- Naresuan University, Mueang Phitsanulok, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
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34
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Doi Y, Takano A, Takahashi Y, Matsushita Y. Viscoelastic Properties of Dumbbell-Shaped Polystyrenes in Bulk and Solution. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yoshiaki Takahashi
- Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
| | - Yushu Matsushita
- Toyota Physical and Chemical Research Institute, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192, Japan
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35
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Wang TW, Golder MR. Advancing macromolecular hoop construction: recent developments in synthetic cyclic polymer chemistry. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py01655a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic methodology to access cyclic macromolecules continues to develop via two distinct mechanistic classes: ring-expansion of macrocyclic initiators and ring-closure of functionalized linear polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng-Wei Wang
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Washington
- Seattle
- USA
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36
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Kruteva M, Monkenbusch M, Allgaier J, Holderer O, Pasini S, Hoffmann I, Richter D. Self-Similar Dynamics of Large Polymer Rings: A Neutron Spin Echo Study. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:238004. [PMID: 33337173 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.238004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This work clarifies the self-similar dynamics of large polymer rings using pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron spin echo spectroscopy. We find center of mass diffusion taking place in three dynamic regimes starting (i) with a strongly subdiffusive domain ⟨r^{2}(t)⟩_{com}∼t^{α} (0.4≤α≤0.65); (ii) a second subdiffusive region ⟨r^{2}(t)⟩_{com}∼t^{0.75} that (iii) finally crosses over to Fickian diffusion. While the t^{0.75} range previously has been found in simulations and was predicted by theory, we attribute the first to the effect of cooperative dynamics resulting from the correlation hole potential. The internal dynamics at scales below the elementary loop size is well described by ring Rouse motion. At larger scales the dynamics is self-similar and follows very well the predictions of the scaling models with preference for the self-consistent fractal loopy globule model.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kruteva
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS), 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - M Monkenbusch
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS), 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - J Allgaier
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS), 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - O Holderer
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at MLZ, Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - S Pasini
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at MLZ, Lichtenbergstraße 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - I Hoffmann
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - D Richter
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS), 52425 Jülich, Germany
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37
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Mei B, Dell ZE, Schweizer KS. Microscopic Theory of Long-Time Center-of-Mass Self-Diffusion and Anomalous Transport in Ring Polymer Liquids. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Baicheng Mei
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zachary E. Dell
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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38
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Zhang T, Winey KI, Riggleman RA. Conformation and dynamics of ring polymers under symmetric thin film confinement. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:184905. [PMID: 33187402 DOI: 10.1063/5.0024729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the structure and dynamics of polymers under confinement has been of widespread interest, and one class of polymers that have received comparatively little attention under confinement is that of ring polymers. The properties of non-concatenated ring polymers can also be important in biological fields because ring polymers have been proven to be a good model to study DNA organization in the cell nucleus. From our previous study, linear polymers in a cylindrically confined polymer melt were found to segregate from each other as a result of the strong correlation hole effect that is enhanced by the confining surfaces. By comparison, our subsequent study of linear polymers in confined thin films at similar levels of confinements found only the onset of segregation. In this study, we use molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the chain conformations and dynamics of ring polymers under planar (1D) confinement as a function of film thickness. Our results show that conformations of ring polymers are similar to the linear polymers under planar confinement, except that ring polymers are less compressed in the direction normal to the walls. While we find that the correlation hole effect is enhanced under confinement, it is not as pronounced as the linear polymers under 2D confinement. Finally, we show that chain dynamics far above Tg are primarily affected by the friction from walls based on the monomeric friction coefficient we get from the Rouse mode analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianren Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Karen I Winey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Robert A Riggleman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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39
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Tu MQ, Lee M, Robertson-Anderson RM, Schroeder CM. Direct Observation of Ring Polymer Dynamics in the Flow-Gradient Plane of Shear Flow. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Q. Tu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Megan Lee
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Rae M. Robertson-Anderson
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, California 92110, United States
| | - Charles M. Schroeder
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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40
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Borger A, Wang W, O'Connor TC, Ge T, Grest GS, Jensen GV, Ahn J, Chang T, Hassager O, Mortensen K, Vlassopoulos D, Huang Q. Threading-Unthreading Transition of Linear-Ring Polymer Blends in Extensional Flow. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:1452-1457. [PMID: 35653662 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Adding small amounts of ring polymers to a matrix of their linear counterparts is known to increase the zero-shear-rate viscosity because of linear-ring threading. Uniaxial extensional rheology measurements show that, unlike its pure linear and ring constituents, the blend exhibits an overshoot in the stress growth coefficient. By combining these measurements with ex-situ small-angle neutron scattering and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, this overshoot is shown to be driven by a transient threading-unthreading transition of rings embedded within the linear entanglement network. Prior to unthreading, embedded rings deform affinely with the linear entanglement network and produce a measurably stronger elongation of the linear chains in the blend compared to the pure linear melt. Thus, rings uniquely alter the mechanisms of transient elongation in linear polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anine Borger
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wendi Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas C O'Connor
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Ting Ge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Gary S Grest
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Grethe V Jensen
- The NIST Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Junyoung Ahn
- Division of Advanced Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Taihyun Chang
- Division of Advanced Materials Science and Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Ole Hassager
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kell Mortensen
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dimitris Vlassopoulos
- Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete 70013, Greece.,Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71003, Greece
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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41
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Liebetreu M, Likos CN. Cluster prevalence in concentrated ring-chain mixtures under shear. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8710-8719. [PMID: 32996544 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01309a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Semiflexible ring polymers are known to exhibit clustering behavior and form stacks in concentrated solutions. Recently, weak shear was suggested to re-orient these stacks with flow, a phenomenon more easily visible in more concentrated solutions [Liebetreu et al., ACS Appl. Polym. Mater., 2020, 2(8), 3505-3517, DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.0c00522]. In this work, we investigate the impact of mixing linear chains and rings in a similar system under shear, studying clustering in the presence of semiflexible, rod-like chains. We present a correlation between chain monomer fraction and clustering behavior as linear chains take up less space, thus decreasing the system's effective density and, subsequently, clustering. However, we suggest mixtures with a low chain concentration to maintain or potentially enhance clustering at equilibrium while this effect is destroyed under shear. The mixing of chains and rings may therefore be used to create more strongly organized structures susceptible to reorientation via weak shear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Liebetreu
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Christos N Likos
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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42
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Doi Y, Takano A, Takahashi Y, Matsushita Y. Melt rheology of tadpole-shaped polystyrenes with different ring sizes. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8720-8724. [PMID: 32996540 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01098g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, linear melt rheology of a single-tail tadpole-shaped polystyrene, ST-30/80, having ring and linear sizes of MR ∼ 30 kg mol-1 and ML ∼ 80 kg mol-1, respectively, was examined, and the effect of the ring size on rheological properties of tadpole polymers was discussed by comparing with the data of the previously reported tadpole samples having MR ∼ 60 kg mol-1. ST-30/80 exhibits an entanglement plateau and shows a clearly slower terminal relaxation than that of its component ring and linear polymers. When the zero-shear viscosity η0 for ST-30/80 is plotted against the molecular weight of a linear tail chain, the data point lies on the single curve of η0 for 4- and 6-arm star polymers and the single-tail tadpoles with MR ∼ 60 kg mol-1. These results suggest that the tadpole molecule in this study spontaneously forms a characteristic entanglement network, i.e., the intermolecular ring-linear threading, in the same manner as the previous tadpole samples, even though the size of the ring part is just slightly larger than the entanglement molecular weight (i.e., MR ∼ 1.8Me).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Doi
- Department of Molecular and Macromolecular Chemistry, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648603, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Takano
- Department of Molecular and Macromolecular Chemistry, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648603, Japan.
| | - Yoshiaki Takahashi
- Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 8168580, Japan
| | - Yushu Matsushita
- Department of Molecular and Macromolecular Chemistry, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648603, Japan.
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43
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Shrestha UM, Han L, Saito T, Schweizer KS, Dadmun MD. Mechanism of Soft Nanoparticle Diffusion in Entangled Polymer Melts. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Umesh M. Shrestha
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Lu Han
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tomonori Saito
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark D. Dadmun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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44
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Local Effects of Ring Topology Observed in Polymer Conformation and Dynamics by Neutron Scattering-A Review. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:polym12091884. [PMID: 32825628 PMCID: PMC7563567 DOI: 10.3390/polym12091884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The physical properties of polymers depend on a range of both structural and chemical parameters, and in particular, on molecular topology. Apparently simple changes such as joining chains at a point to form stars or simply joining the two ends to form a ring can profoundly alter molecular conformation and dynamics, and hence properties. Cyclic polymers, as they do not have free ends, represent the simplest model system where reptation is completely suppressed. As a consequence, there exists a considerable literature and several reviews focused on high molecular weight cyclics where long range dynamics described by the reptation model comes into play. However, this is only one area of interest. Consideration of the conformation and dynamics of rings and chains, and of their mixtures, over molecular weights ranging from tens of repeat units up to and beyond the onset of entanglements and in both solution and melts has provided a rich literature for theory and simulation. Experimental work, particularly neutron scattering, has been limited by the difficulty of synthesizing well-characterized ring samples, and deuterated analogues. Here in the context of the broader literature we review investigations of local conformation and dynamics of linear and cyclic polymers, concentrating on poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) and covering a wide range of generally less high molar masses. Experimental data from small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), including Neutron Spin Echo (NSE), are compared to theory and computational predictions.
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45
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Wang J, Chen X, Cao C, Yu D. Chain conformation and dynamics in ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene melts undergoing extensional–shear coupled flow: insight from dissipative particle dynamics simulation. POLYM INT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.6064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Junxia Wang
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer‐Based Composites of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Xiaochuan Chen
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer‐Based Composites of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Changlin Cao
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer‐Based Composites of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Dingshan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Polymeric Composite and Functional Materials of the Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer‐Based Composites of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China
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46
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47
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Rauscher PM, Schweizer KS, Rowan SJ, de Pablo JJ. Dynamics of poly[n]catenane melts. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:214901. [PMID: 32505155 DOI: 10.1063/5.0007573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by advances in the chemical synthesis of interlocking polymer architectures, extensive molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted to study the dynamical properties of poly[n]catenanes-polymers composed entirely of interlocking rings-in the melt state. Both the degree of polymerization (number of links) and the number of beads per ring are systematically varied, and the results are compared to linear and ring polymers. A simple Rouse-like model is presented, and its analytical solution suggests a decomposition of the dynamics into "ring-like" and "linear-like" regimes at short and long times, respectively. In agreement with this picture, multiple sub-diffusive regimes are observed in the monomer mean-squared-displacements even though interchain entanglement is not prevalent in the system. However, the Rouse-type model does not account for the topological effects of the mechanical bonds, which significantly alter the dynamics at intermediate length scales both within the rings and at the chain segment scales. The stress relaxation in the system is extremely rapid and may be conveniently separated into ring-like and linear-like contributions, again in agreement with the Rouse picture. However, the viscosity has a non-monotonic dependence on the ring size for long chains, which disagrees strongly with theoretical predictions. This unexpected observation cannot be explained in terms of chain disentanglement and is inconsistent with other measures of polymer relaxation. Possible mechanisms for this behavior are proposed and implications for materials design are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip M Rauscher
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Kenneth S Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
| | - Stuart J Rowan
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Juan J de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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48
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Rosa A, Smrek J, Turner MS, Michieletto D. Threading-Induced Dynamical Transition in Tadpole-Shaped Polymers. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:743-748. [PMID: 33828901 PMCID: PMC8016395 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between polymer topology and bulk rheology remains a key question in soft matter physics. Architecture-specific constraints (or threadings) are thought to control the dynamics of ring polymers in ring-linear blends, which thus affects the viscosity to range between that of the pure rings and a value larger, but still comparable to, that of the pure linear melt. Here we consider qualitatively different systems of linear and ring polymers, fused together in "chimeric" architectures. The simplest example of this family is a "tadpole"-shaped polymer, a single ring fused to the end of a single linear chain. We show that polymers with this architecture display a threading-induced dynamical transition that substantially slows chain relaxation. Our findings shed light on how threadings control dynamics and may inform design principles for chimeric polymers with topologically tunable bulk rheological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Rosa
- SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew S Turner
- Department of Physics and Centre for Complexity Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, North Rd, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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Kruteva M, Allgaier J, Monkenbusch M, Porcar L, Richter D. Self-Similar Polymer Ring Conformations Based on Elementary Loops: A Direct Observation by SANS. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:507-511. [PMID: 35648506 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We report small angle neutron scattering (SANS) results on very large polyethylene-oxide (PEO) rings in the melt. Major findings are (i) the observation of a cross over in the SANS pattern from a strong Q-dependence at intermediate Q to a Q-2 dependence at higher Q that is independent of the ring size. Summing up scattering amplitudes in a minimal model that contains the ring closure and a cross over from Gaussian statistics at short distances to more compact structures at larger distances, we identify the cross over to occur at a distance along the ring of Ne,0 = 45 ± 2.5. We consider this finding as a clear signature of the theoretically predicted elementary loops that build up the ring conformation. Their size is in the range of an entanglement strand for linear PEO melts and they are characterized by Gaussian statistics. (ii) The chain length dependence of the radius of gyration Rg follows rather closely the prediction of Obukhov's decorated ring model. (iii) Other than extracted from numerous simulations that are interpreted in terms of a cross over to mass fractal behavior around N ≅ 10Ne,0 with a fractal dimension df = 3 and exponent ν = 1/3, we do not observe such a cross over, but Rg(N) ∼ Nν=0.39 holds over the entire size range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Kruteva
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Jürgen Allgaier
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Michael Monkenbusch
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Lionel Porcar
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), B.P. 156, F-38042 Grenoble, cedex 9, France
| | - Dieter Richter
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) and Institute for Complex Systems (ICS), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
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Haque FM, Grayson SM. The synthesis, properties and potential applications of cyclic polymers. Nat Chem 2020; 12:433-444. [DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-0440-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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