Coexistence of Crumpling and Flat Sheet Conformations in Two-Dimensional Polymer Networks: An Understanding of Aggrecan Self-Assembly.
Phys Rev Lett
; 131(13): 138101, 2023 Sep 29.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37832020
ABSTRACT
We investigate the conformational properties of self-avoiding two-dimensional (2D) ideal polymer networks with tunable mesh sizes as a model of self-assembled structures formed by aggrecan. Polymer networks having few branching points and large enough mesh tend to crumple, resulting in a fractal dimension of d_{f}≈2.7. The flat sheet behavior (d_{f}=2) emerges in 2D polymer networks having more branching points at large length scales; however, it coexists with crumpling conformations at intermediate length scales, a feature found in scattering profiles of aggrecan solutions. Our findings bridge the long-standing gap between theories and simulations of polymer sheets.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
Phys Rev Lett
Year:
2023
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States