We present predictions on the equilibrium behavior of solutions of living polymers confined in a gap between surfaces, including the ensuing potential of mean force between those surfaces (the disjoining potential). We highlight the occurrence of a transition upon narrowing the gap, which arises from a cooperative simultaneous increase of the local density and degree of polymerization. At this transition, many properties of the confined solution, including the disjoining potential, change by orders of magnitude over a minute change of the surface separation. These results were obtained owing to two extensions to a previously introduced self-consistent field-propagator formalism. (i) We derive this formalism from a free-energy functional of the distribution of chain lengths and configurations. This enables evaluation of thermodynamic properties, including the disjoining potential. (ii) We solved for a system confined between two surfaces.
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Article Synopsis
- Nanofluids are special liquids that can help get more oil out of the ground by making it easier for oil and water to mix and reducing how sticky oil is on rocks.
- This text talks about how different types of nanofluids are made and what makes them unique.
- A big focus is on "disjoining pressure," which is important to understanding how these nanofluids can push oil out of rocks more effectively.
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