Probing the local structure: macromolecular combs in external fields

Abstract

Recent experimental methods allow to monitor the response of macromolecules to locally applied fields, complementing usual, mesoscopic techniques. Based on the Rouse-model and its extension to generalized Gaussian structures (GGS), we follow here the stretching of comb macromolecules under local fields. This leads to a wealth of informations about the structure: Namely, given the inhomogeneous architecture of combs, the dynamics and amount of stretching depend strongly on the position of the monomer on which the external fields act. We discuss both the theoretical and the experimental implications of our findings, given that micromanipulations can be supplemented by fluorescence measurements, which are very sensitive to changes in the intramolecular distances.