The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Photo Jan Forsman

Jan Forsman

Professor

Photo Jan Forsman

Colloidal interactions in thermal and athermal polymer solutions: The Derjaguin approximation, and exact results for mono- and polydisperse ideal chains

Author

  • Jan Forsman
  • Clifford E. Woodward

Summary, in English

Polymer density functional theory is used to test the accuracy of the Derjaguin approximation in describing the interaction between two spherical colloidal particles immersed in a polymer solution. The density functional equations are solved numerically in a cylindrical geometry and thus a rigorous comparison is afforded, within the density functional framework. The density functional theory provides an exact (albeit numerical) treatment for ideal polymers. We investigate both nonadsorbing and telechelic chains, as well as consider the behavior of widely polydisperse samples (living chains). We make comparisons with the commonly used penetrable sphere models for polymers and are able to identify strengths and weaknesses in the latter. We find that the Derjaguin approximation performs surprisingly well, even for particle sizes that are comparable to the radius of gyration of the polymers.

Department/s

  • Computational Chemistry

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Publication/Series

Journal of Chemical Physics

Volume

131

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Topic

  • Theoretical Chemistry (including Computational Chemistry)

Keywords

  • density functional theory
  • colloids
  • liquid theory
  • liquid structure
  • polymer solutions

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0021-9606