A semi-flexible attracting-segment model of three-dimensional polymer collapse

Abstract

Recently it has been shown that a two-dimensional model of self-attracting polymers based on attracting segments with the addition of stiffness displays three phases: a swollen phase, a globular, liquid-like phase, and an anisotropic crystal-like phase. Here, we consider the attracting segment model in three dimensions with the addition of stiffness. While we again identify a swollen and two distinct collapsed phases, we find that both collapsed phases are anisotropic, so that there is no phase in which the polymer resembles a disordered liquid drop. Moreover all the phase transitions are first order.