Partitioning of a polymer chain between a confining cavity and a gel

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a charged polymer chain distributes itself between a spherical cavity and a surrounding gel using a lattice field theory approach, considering factors like chain length, charge, and ion concentrations.

Contribution

It introduces a lattice field theory method to analyze the partitioning behavior of charged polymers in confined and gel environments, extending previous models.

Findings

Partition coefficient depends on chain length and charge.

Ion concentrations influence polymer distribution.

Method provides quantitative predictions for polymer localization.

Abstract

A lattice field theory approach to the statistical mechanics of charged polymers in electrolyte solutions [S. Tsonchev, R. D. Coalson, and A. Duncan, Phys. Rev. E 60, 4257, (1999)] is applied to the study of a polymer chain contained in a spherical cavity but able to diffuse into a surrounding gel. The distribution of the polymer chain between the cavity and the gel is described by its partition coefficient, which is computed as a function of the number of monomers in the chain, the monomer charge, and the ion concentrations in the solution.