Search results for "THERMODYNAMICS"
showing 10 items of 2774 documents
Stability of thin polymer films: influence of solvents.
2004
The interface and surface properties and the wetting behavior of polymer-solvent mixtures are investigated using Monte Carlo simulations and self-consistent field calculations. We carry out Monte Carlo simulations in the framework of a coarse-grained bead-spring model using short chains (oligomers) of N(P)=5 beads and a monomeric solvent, N(S)=1. The self-consistent field calculations are based on a simple phenomenological equation of state for compressible binary mixtures and we employ Gaussian chain model. The bulk behavior of the polymer-solvent mixture belongs to type III in the classification of van Konynenburg and Scott [Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 298, 495 (1980)]. It is char…
Monte Carlo simulation of a lattice model for ternary polymer mixtures
1988
Monte Carlo studies of symmetrical polymer mixturesAB, modelled by selfavoiding walks withNA=NB=N steps on a simple cubic lattice, are presented for arbitrary concentrations of vacanciesφv in the range fromφv=0.2 toφv=0.8 and chain lengthsN≤64. We obtained the phase diagrams and the equation of state for three choices of the ratio ∈ / ∈AB (∈ being the energy between monomers of the same kind, ∈AB being the energy between different monomers). Flory-Huggins theory provides only a qualitative understanding of these results. If the equation of state is “fitted” with an effective Flory-Huggins parameterχeff, the latter turns out to be strongly dependent on both concentration and temperature.
Effect of the phase behaviour of the solvent–antisolvent systems on the gas–antisolvent-crystallisation of paracetamol
2005
Abstract The influence of the phase behaviour of the solvent–antisolvent system on the process conditions for the gas–antisolvent process is investigated. The two fluids are modelled by the Peng–Robinson equation of state while the dissolved solid is described by a Clapeyron-type approach. Based on the correlation of the ternary system, a liquid–liquid immiscibility region has been found which hinders the proper crystallisation of the solute. A thorough investigation of the binary solvent–antisolvent system by the global phase diagram methods yields a criterion for the proper choice of the solvent. The crucial property turns out to be the distance of the solvent–antisolvent system from the …
Polyelectrolyte Molecule in an Elongational Flow
1995
The theory describing the stretching of a weakly charged polyelectrolyte molecule by elongational shear flow is developed. It is shown that for a polyelectrolyte immersed in a salt-added solution two critical values of shear flow gradient exist: the lower critical point corresponds to the chain stretching on the scale of superblobs of size equal to the Debye screening length and the upper critical point corresponds to the complete stretching of the chain on the scale of monomer units.
Phase Diagram of Random Copolymer Melts: A Computer Simulation Study
2004
We investigate the phase behavior of random copolymer melts via large-scale Monte Carlo simulations. The AB multiblock copolymers have, on average, symmetric composition and are characterized by a ...
Structural and conformational dynamics of supercooled polymer melts: Insights from first-principles theory and simulations
2007
We report on quantitative comparisons between simulation results of a bead-spring model and mode-coupling theory calculations for the structural and conformational dynamics of a supercooled, unentangled polymer melt. We find semiquantitative agreement between simulation and theory, except for processes that occur on intermediate length scales between the compressibility plateau and the amorphous halo of the static structure factor. Our results suggest that the onset of slow relaxation in a glass-forming melt can be described in terms of monomer-caging supplemented by chain connectivity. Furthermore, a unified atomistic description of glassy arrest and of conformational fluctuations that (as…
A Three-State Model for the Photophysics of Adenine
2006
An ab initio theoretical study at the CASPT2 level is reported on minimum energy reaction paths, state minima, transition states, reaction barriers, and conical intersections on the potential energy hypersurfaces of two tautomers of adenine: 9H- and 7H-adenine. The obtained results led to a complete interpretation of the photophysics of adenine and derivatives, both under jet-cooled conditions and in solution, within a three-state model. The ultrafast subpicosecond fluorescence decay measured in adenine is attributed to the low-lying conical intersection (gs/pipi* La)(CI), reached from the initially populated 1(pipi* La) state along a path which is found to be barrierless only in 9H-adenine…
Simulation of Phase Transitions of Single Polymer Chains: Recent Advances
2006
The behaviour of a flexible polymer chain in solvents of variable quality in dilute solution is discussed both in the bulk and in the presence of an adsorbing wall. Monte Carlo simulations of coarse-grained bead-spring models and of the bond fluctuation model are presented and interpreted in terms of phenomenological theories and scaling concepts. Particular attention is paid to the behaviour of the polymer chain when the temperature of the polymer solution gets lower than the Theta temperature. It is argued that the adsorption transition line at the Theta temperature splits into lines of wetting and drying transitions of polymer globules attached to the wall. In addition, it is shown that …
Ferrochirality: a simple theoretical model of interacting, dynamically invertible, helical polymers, 2. Molecular field approach: supports and the de…
1995
Using a molecular field approach, the effect of interaction between reversibly invertible, helical polymers is investigated theoretically. The helices are modelled by nearest-neighbour statistical thermodynamics. If the interaction energy between two helices of common handedness is lower than that of oppositely handed ones, a critical temperature Tc exists, below which the system spontaneously must leave the racemic state, though there is no contact to any chiral centre or force. This is analogous to the second-order phase transition of ferromagnets. The critical point increases with molecular weight and optical persistence of the helices. At the critical point the system is highly sensitiv…
Communication: Protein dynamical transition vs. liquid-liquid phase transition in protein hydration water
2013
In this work, we compare experimental data on myoglobin hydrated powders from elastic neutron scattering, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Our aim is to obtain new insights on the connection between the protein dynamical transition, a fundamental phenomenon observed in proteins whose physical origin is highly debated, and the liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) possibly occurring in protein hydration water and related to the existence of a low temperature critical point in supercooled water. Our results provide a consistent thermodynamic/dynamic description which gives experimental support to the LLPT hypothesis and further reveals how fundamental …