Dynamics of semiflexible generalized scale-free polymer networks

Abstract

We study the relaxation dynamics of a new type of hyperbranched polymer networks, which are constructed using a degree distribution specific to scale-free networks. The topology of the constructed networks is controlled through three parameters: γ, which measures the density of links in the network, the minimum allowed degree Kmin and the maximum allowed degree Kmax. The static properties of the polymers are investigated through the mean square radius of gyration. We study the dynamics in the framework of the generalized Gaussian structures model by monitoring in detail the influence of networks’ construction parameters, namely γ, Kmin, and Kmax, and the stiffness parameter q on the relaxation quantities: averaged monomer displacement, storage modulus and loss modulus. In the intermediate (time or frequency) regions of the dynamical quantities we encounter a scaling behavior for γ=2.5 and usually a non-scaling behavior for other values of γ. Switching on the stiffness parameter q one is able to destroy, create or enlarge some scaling regions for other combinations of the parameters. Another way to widen a scaling region is to slightly increase Kmin.