https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050308
Field-induced winding of chiral polymers
Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road,
Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
Corresponding author: a emt1000@cus.cam.ac.uk
Received:
15
November
1997
Accepted:
16
February
1998
Published online: 15 May 1998
We propose a microscopic model of a chiral polymer chain with permanent
transverse dipoles interacting with an external electric field. Its behaviour
has been investigated by computer simulation
in the limit of weak chirality. Large-scale (tertiary) helical winding induced
along the field direction has been found above a threshold
field Ec, and the helix parameters have been calculated
as functions of the field strength. Below Ec there is no
coherent helical structure of the chain conformation. We find a
characteristic scaling of the threshold and the winding radius a with
the chain bending modulus ε,
and
.
PACS: 61.20.Ja – Computer simulation of liquid structure / 36.20.-r – Macromolecules and polymer molecules / 87.15.By – Structure, bonding, conformation, configuration, and isomerism of biomolecules
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 1998