Scattering from Solutions of Star Polymers

TL;DR

This paper models the scattering intensity of star polymer solutions across dilute and semi-dilute regimes, revealing characteristic scattering regions and features related to polymer conformation and interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed scattering model for star polymers based on the Daoud-Cotton model, including new insights into scattering behavior in semi-dilute solutions.

Findings

Identification of three scattering regions in dilute solutions

Discovery of a liquid peak in semi-dilute solutions

Characterization of q^(-10/3) and q^(-5/3) decay regimes

Abstract

We calculate the scattering intensity of dilute and semi-dilute solutions of star polymers. The star conformation is described by a model introduced by Daoud and Cotton. In this model, a single star is regarded as a spherical region of a semi-dilute polymer solution with a local, position dependent screening length. For high enough concentrations, the outer sections of the arms overlap and build a semi-dilute solution (a sea of blobs) where the inner parts of the actual stars are embedded. The scattering function is evaluated following a method introduced by Auvray and de Gennes. In the dilute regime there are three regions in the scattering function: the Guinier region (low wave vectors, q R << 1) from where the radius of the star can be extracted; the intermediate region (1 << q R << f^(2/5)) that carries the signature of the form factor of a star with f arms: I(q) ~ q^(-10/3); and a high wavevector zone (q R >> f^(2/5)) where the local swollen structure of the polymers gives rise to the usual q^(-5/3) decay. In the semi-dilute regime the different stars interact strongly, and the scattered intensity acquires two new features: a liquid peak that develops at a reciprocal position corresponding to the star-star distances; and a new large wavevector contribution of the form q^(-5/3) originating from the sea of blobs.