Scaling of complex polymers: New universality classes and beyond

Abstract

We analyze scaling laws that govern macromolecules of different topologies: polymer chains, homogeneous and miktoarm star polymers in a good solvent possibly constrained by a porous medium. The latter is modelled by long-range-correlated disorder with a pair correlation function g(r) that decays with a power law g(r) ∼ r ^−a at large distances r. We show that this type of disorder changes the universality class of the system. Within the framework of the field-theoretical renormalization group approach we obtain the corresponding new universal critical exponents for systems of homogeneous and star copolymers and discuss different consequences of the architecture dependent change of the scaling behavior.

Keywords:

• polymers
• scaling
• disordered systems
• renormalization group

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support by a ‘Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship’ (VB) and Austrian FWF under Project No. P19583-N20 (YuH).