Conformational Transitions of Non-Grafted Polymers Near an Adsorbing Substrate

Abstract

We have performed multicanonical chain-growth simulations of a polymer interacting with an adsorbing surface. The polymer, which is not explicitly anchored at the surface, experiences a hierarchy of phase transitions between conformations binding and non-binding with the substrate. We discuss the phase diagram in the temperature-solubility plane and highlight the transition ``path'' through the free-energy landscape.Comment: 4 pages, revtex.cls, 10 postscript figures, author information under http://www.physik.uni-leipzig.de/index.php?id=2