Mechanically induced helix-coil transition in biopolymer networks
Soft Condensed Matter
2009-11-11 v1 Other Condensed Matter
Abstract
The quasi-equilibrium evolution of the helical fraction occurring in a biopolymer network (gelatin gel) under an applied stress has been investigated by observing modulation in its optical activity. Its variation with the imposed chain extension is distinctly non-monotonic and corresponds to the transition of initially coiled strands to induced left-handed helices. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions of helices induced on chain extension. This new effect of mechanically stimulated helix-coil transition has been studied further as a function of the elastic properties of the polymer network: crosslink density and network aging.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0602355,
title = {Mechanically induced helix-coil transition in biopolymer networks},
author = {S. Courty and J. L. Gornall and E. M. Terentjev},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0602355},
year = {2009}
}