Integral equation theory of random copolymer melts: self-consistent treatment of intramolecular and intermolecular correlations

• Published in: The Journal of chemical physics 2005-06, Vol.122 (23), p.234904-234904
• Main Authors: Sung, Bong June, Yethiraj, Arun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-9606; 1089-7690
• DOI: 10.1063/1.1931649

A self-consistent integral equation theory is presented for the conformational properties and spinodal lines of random copolymer melts. The theory combines field-theoretic methods with the polymer reference interaction site model (PRISM) theory. The many-chain problem is replaced by a single chain where the sites interact via a bare plus a self-consistently determined medium-induced potential, and the conformational properties are obtained using a variational method. The theoretical prediction for the spinodal line is qualitatively similar to that of non-self-consistent PRISM theory. The theory predicts macroscopic phase separation for all values of the monomer correlation strength, lambda. The inverse spinodal temperature is a nonmonotonic function of lambda with a maximum at lambda(max). For large values of lambda( approximately 1), the values of spinodal temperatures are almost identical to those of non-self-consistent PRISM theory. For low values of lambda, however, the theory predicts higher values for spinodal temperatures than non-self-consistent PRISM theory. The theory predicts significant changes in the mean-square end-to-end distance as the temperature is decreased.