Semiflexible Chains at Surfaces: Worm-Like Chains and beyond.

ABSTRACT

We give an extended review of recent numerical and analytical studies on semiflexible chains near surfaces undertaken at Institut Charles Sadron (sometimes in collaboration) with a focus on static properties. The statistical physics of thin confined layers, strict two-dimensional (2D) layers and adsorption layers (both at equilibrium with the dilute bath and from irreversible chemisorption) are discussed for the well-known worm-like-chain (WLC) model. There is mounting evidence that biofilaments (except stable d-DNA) are not fully described by the WLC model. A number of augmented models, like the (super) helical WLC model, the polymorphic model of microtubules (MT) and a model with (strongly) nonlinear flexural elasticity are presented, and some aspects of their surface behavior are analyzed. In many cases, we use approaches different from those in our previous work, give additional results and try to adopt a more general point of view with the hope to shed some light on this complex field.