Phase transition in a heteropolymer chain at a selective interface
Abstract
We consider the localization transition of a heteropolymer chain without volume interactions consisting of two types of links-``hydrophobic'' (A) and ``hydrophilic'' (B) at a selective oil-water interface: the A links are repelled from the water into the oil whereas B links prefer to be located in the water. We study the behavior of the free energy near the point of transition from a delocalized (Gaussian) to a localized (adsorbed) regime for two basic models: chains with periodic (A-B-A-B-...) and ``annealed random'' sequences of links. We show that the transition is sensitive to the type of direct repulsive interaction of the links with the interface, and can be of ``fourth'' order in particular cases.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review E
- Pub Date:
- September 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevE.50.1912
- Bibcode:
- 1994PhRvE..50.1912G
- Keywords:
-
- 64.60.Cn;
- Order-disorder transformations;
- statistical mechanics of model systems