A Monte Carlo study of fluctuating polymer-grafted membranes

Abstract

The elastic properties of polymer-grafted membranes using Monte Carlo simulations of an off-lattice model was studied. It was shown that when the polymers were grafted to one side of the membrane only, the membrane bends away from the polymers with a spontaneous curvature with a scaling that was consistent with both scaling and self-consistent field theories. The bending modulus approaches a constant which was of the same oder as the bending modulus of the bare membrane when the thickness of the brush exceeds the membrane's spontaneous radius curvature. When the polymers were in the brush regime and in good solvent conditions, the competition between the conformational entropy of the chains and their mutual interactions lead to stretching of polymers.

Publication Title

Journal of Chemical Physics

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