Monte Carlo simulations of random copolymers at a selective interface

Abstract

We investigate numerically using the bond--fluctuation model the adsorption of a random AB--copolymer at the interface between two solvents. From our results we infer several scaling relations: the radius of gyration of the copolymer in the direction perpendicular to the interface ($R_{gz}$) scales with $χ$, the interfacial selectivity strength, as $R_{gz}=N^νf(\sqrt{N}χ)$ where $ν$ is the usual Flory exponent and $N$ is the copolymer's length; furthermore the monomer density at the interface scales as $χ^{2ν}$ for small $χ$. We also determine numerically the monomer densities in the two solvents and discuss their dependence on the distance from the interface.