A Green’s-function perturbation theory for nonuniform semiflexible polymers: Phases and their transitions near attracting surfaces

Abstract

The chain stiffness is an important characteristic that affects the properties of many biological and synthetic polymers. We develop a perturbation theory in the framework of a Green’s-function approach to treat the chain stiffness effects systematically. This scheme incorporates the standard flexible-chain Edwards equation in the zeroth order. When applied to the chains on the surface, the theory predicts novel features in adsorption–desorption transitions coupled with types of isotropic to nematic ordering transitions, giving a rigorous quantitative basis for our previous scaling theory results. We analyze the phase diagrams, and various quantities that detail the chain distribution including orientation-order-parameter distribution of the adsorbed semiflexible polymers.