Entropically driven transition to a liquid-crystalline polymer globule

A self-consistent field theory (SCFT) in the grand-canonical ensemble formulation is used to study transitions in a helix-coil multiblock copolymer globule. The helices are modeled as stiff rods. In addition to the established coil-globule transition we show for the first time that, even without explicit rod-rod alignment interaction, the system undergoes a transition to a nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) globular state. The LC-globule formation is driven by the hydrophobic helical segment attraction and the anisotropy of the globule surface energy. The full phase diagram of the copolymer was calculated. It discriminates between an open chain, amorphous globule and LC globule. This model provides a relatively simple example of the interplay between secondary and tertiary structures in homopolypeptides. Moreover, it may give a simple explanation for the formation of helix bundles in certain globular proteins.