Research Symposium

BIO

I am a physics major with an interest in theoretical physics, particularly relativity. My current research focuses on polymer systems using computational simulations, where I study how local interactions along polymer chains affect their collective behavior. I enjoy combining physics with coding to model complex systems and explore emergent phenomena.

Effect of Chain Rigidity on Ordering of Diblock Copolymers

Abstract

Semiflexible polymers show structural behavior that depends strongly on chain stiffness and intermolecular interactions. In this project, we use hard-particle simulations of discretized wormlike chains to understand how an imposed angular bending potential controls the effective persistence length and how that stiffness influences chain ordering. Bending rigidity is implemented through an angular potential between adjacent segments, which allows us to systematically vary stiffness within the model. At fixed concentration, we measure the resulting persistence length by analyzing bond–bond orientational correlations along the chain. This provides a practical calibration between the angular potential strength and the resulting chain rigidity, giving us direct control over the flexible-to-rodlike crossover in the simulations.

We extend the model to study amphiphilic AB copolymer systems that include hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions. These interactions promote self-assembly into ordered structures, including lamellar phases. We are particularly interested in how varying chain stiffness affects the stability and alignment of these ordered domains. By systematically connecting bending strength and segment-specific interactions to the structures that emerge, this work aims to clarify how mechanical rigidity influences directed self-assembly. A better understanding of these relationships is relevant for polymer-based materials design and nanoscale pattern formation, with potential applications in templating and lithographic processes.

Keywords: Polymer, Wormlike Polymer, Ordering, Lamellar crystal