Motion of a branched polymer chain in confinement: A Monte Carlo study

The aim of the study was a theoretical investigation of the polymer molecules located between two parallel and impenetrable surfaces which were also attractive for polymer segments. The chains were constructed of identical segments and were restricted to knots of a simple cubic lattice. Since the chains were at good solvent conditions the only interactions between the segments of the chain were the excluded volume. The properties of the model chains were determined by means of Monte Carlo simulations with a sampling algorithm based on the chain's local changes of conformation. The differences and similarities in the structure for different adsorption regimes and the size of the slit were shown and discussed. It was observed that at certain conditions the polymer chain was adsorbed at one of the confining surfaces, and then after a certain period of time it detached from this surface and approached the opposite wall; this switch was repeated many times. The influence of the strength of the adsorption, the size of the slit, and the chain's length on the frequency of these jumps were determined. The mechanism of the chain's motion during the switch was also shown. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.