Paper Number
PO36
Session
Poster Session
Title
Single molecule dynamics of symmetric 3-arm star polymers in dilute solution
Presentation Date and Time
October 23, 2019 (Wednesday) 6:30
Track / Room
Poster Session / Ballroom C on 4th floor
Authors
- Patel, Shivani Falgun (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
- Schroeder, Charles M (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
Author and Affiliation Lines
Shivani Falgun Patel and Charles M Schroeder
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
Speaker / Presenter
Patel, Shivani Falgun
Text of Abstract
Branched polymers play a key role in modern technology and advanced materials. Despite their increasing importance, our current understanding of the non-equilibrium dynamic behavior of these topologically complex polymers is limited. Owing to their complex molecular architectures, these polymers exhibit rich dynamic behavior that is not fully understood at the molecular level. To address this, we study the dynamics of branched polymers with precisely controlled architectures using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. In this work, we use a hybrid enzymatic-synthetic approach to synthesize DNA-based controlled branched polymers such as symmetric 3-arm star polymers suitable for direct visualization using single molecule techniques. These star polymers provide the perfect model architecture for studying the impact of precisely-controlled branching points along a linear backbone. We directly study the steady state and transient stretching dynamics of these polymers in planar extensional flow as a function of flow strength and compare them to the dynamics of linear polymers in ultra-dilute solutions. Interestingly, we see marked differences in the molecular individualism exhibited by star polymers during the stretching process leading to a more diverse set of transient stretching pathways compared to their linear counterparts. We also observe unequal stretching of the individual arms at steady state in extensional flow. Overall, this work aims to bridge the gap in our understanding of the molecular-scale origins of rich rheological behavior exhibited by topologically complex polymers.