Abstract
The existence of coil-stretch hysteresis in extensional flows of long-chain polymers in dilute solutions has recently been demonstrated using enormously long deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules [Schroeder et al., Science 301, 1515–1519 (2003)]; however, there is no demonstration of hysteresis for synthetic polymers of more modest molecular size. We here use Brownian dynamics simulations of bead-spring chains to predict that the minimum molecular weight of polystyrene in a dilute theta solvent that can show a “coil-stretch hysteresis” in a uniaxial extensional flow is around 0.5 million Daltons. We find that the threshold value of the ratio of effective drag coefficients in the stretched versus coiled states, ζstretch∕ζcoil, is about 4.5 for the occurrence of hysteresis, close to the value observed for DNA.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
