Effects of porous media on the phase behaviour of polypeptide solutions

Abstract

The generalized van der Waals equation for anisotropic fluids in porous media, proposed by the authors in previous works, is used to describe the effect of porous media on the phase behavior of polypeptide solutions. By introducing the temperature dependence for the depth of the potential well and the geometric parameters of the spherocylinder, the main features of phase behavior of the polypeptide poly ($\gamma$-benzyl-$L$-glutamate) (PBLG) in a solution of dimethylformamide, including the existence of two nematic phases, is reproduced. It is shown that the presence of a porous medium shifts the phase diagram to the region of lower densities and lower temperatures.