Abstract
In this article, we consider the dynamics of short chains in frozen polymer networks, at different degrees of swelling. The crosslinked networks are bimodal, at monomer densities ranging from 0.51 in the dry state to 0.098 at the maximum degree of swelling. The 3D bond-fluctuation method is used to simulate the polymers, and we use a Monte Carlo method for monomer moves which has been presented in an earlier publication (Nedelcu and Sommer, J Chem Phys 130:204902, 2009). Crossover scaling functions for the terminal relaxation times τ d and diffusion coefficients D of the short chains are observed to approach de Gennes’ reptation predictions, similar to what has already been observed for long chains diffusing in polymer melts. However, the mean square displacement of a middle monomer of a chain in high-density networks shows only two regimes, first subdiffusive with a scaling exponent close to 1/4, followed by a smooth transition to free diffusion at longer times.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baumgärtner A, Ebert U, Schäfer L (1998) J Stat Phys 90:357–1400
Baumgärtner A, Muthukumar M (1987) J Chem Phys 87:3082–3088
Bhattacharya A (2004) J Phys, Condens Matter 16:5203–5211
Binder K, Paul W (1997) J Polym Sci, B, Polym Phys 35:1–31
Binder K, Paul W (2008) Macromolecules 41:4537–4550
Carmesin I, Kremer K (1988) Macromolecules 21:2869
de Gennes PG (1971) J Chem Phys 55:572–579
de Gennes PG (1979) Scaling concepts in polymer physics. Cornell University Press, New York
Deutsch HP, Binder K (1991) J Chem Phys 94:2294–2304
Deutsch JM, Madden TL (1989) J Chem Phys 91:3252–3257
Doi M, Edwards SF (1986) The theory of polymer dynamics. Calderon Press, Oxford
Everaers R, Kremer K (1995) Macromol Symp 93:53–67
Gerroff I, Milchev A, Binder K, Paul W (1993) J Chem Phys 98:6526–6539
Gilra N, Panagiotopoulos AZ, Cohen C (2001) J Chem Phys 115:1100–1104
Greco F (2008) Eur Phys J, E 25:175–180
Higgins JS, Ma K, Hall RH (1981) J Phys C Solid State Phys 14:4995–5001
Kremer K, Grest GS (1990) J Chem Phys 92:5057–5086
Muthukumar M (1989) J Chem Phys 90:4594–4603
Muthukumar M, Baumgärtner A (1989) Macromolecules 22:1941–1946
Nedelcu S, Sommer J-U (2009) J Chem Phys 130:204902
Paul W (2002) Chem Phys 59:59–66
Paul W, Binder K, Heermann DW, Kremer K (1991) J Chem Phys 95:7726–7740
Shanbhag S, Park SJ, Zhou Q, Larson RG (2007) Macromolecular Phys 105:249–260
Sommer J-U, Lay S (2002) Macromolecules 25:9832–9843
Sommer J-U, Schultz M, Trautenberg HL (1993) J Chem Phys 98:7515–7520
Yamakov V, Milchev A (1997) Phys Rev, E 55:1704–1712
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nedelcu, S., Sommer, JU. Single-chain dynamics in frozen polymer networks. Rheol Acta 49, 485–494 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-010-0437-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-010-0437-x