The Flory-Huggins theory (1942) has been widely used to account for the mixing energy between long-chain, flexible polymers (e.g., rubbers) and solvents. Can it be used for semi-flexible and rigid biopolymers like actins, microtubules, fibrins, and collagens?
Dear Dawei Song, of course it is used whenever interactions energies are involved. Please have a look at the following documents. My Regards
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321216793_Flory-Huggins_Theory_for_Biopolymer_Solutions
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2020.00973
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6FO01497F
https://doi.org/10.1080/03602557708545030
Hi Dawei,
Thanks for sharing this question. Yes, I believe the FH theory can be used to understand the mixing energy between biopolymers and solvents. The theory is essentially a mean-field approach which assumes an ideal-gas like mixing and lumps all the complex polymer-solvent interaction into the Flory parameter Chi. It can be used for biopolymers, but usually will not be the only contribution. Other interactions may contribute additional free energy terms in a system.
From an engineering point of view, one can modify the Flory parameter phenomenologically to make it a function of other physical variables (such as a function of polymer fraction, phi, to account for the change of polymer affinity to water in polyelectrolytes). This often gives a relatively good fit to experimental data, despite it being not completely physical.
Hello Ruobing Bai
Thanks for your comments, which help me better understand the Flory-Huggins theory. I agree that Chi may be treated as a phenomenological parameter that depends on various physical factors. Although such usage might lack clear physical meanings, it can provide good fits to experimental data. Thanks again!
-Dawei
Hi Abdelkader BOUAZIZ
Thanks for sharing the helpful references!
Best,
Dawei
- Badges
- Science topic