B6 (N):Topological validation of coarse-grained polymer models

In this project we will validate mesoscopic coarse-grained models by using topological identifiers. We focus on different popular coarse-grained (CG) models with soft interactions. We propose to use molecular knots as quantifiers to test if equilibration of topology is reached. Furthermore, we plan to conduct large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of fine-grained models to study the occurrence of knots in melts as a function of chain length and stiffness, density and confinement. This data will serve as a reference against which performance and structures of coarse-grained models will be validated. It will also provide insight into a relatively unexplored area of polymer topology and allow us to test concepts from polymer physics such as the ideality assumption.

Funding for this project has started in July 2018.

Dynamic coarse-graining of polymer systems using mobility functions
Bing Li, Kostas Daoulas, Friederike Schmid
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter33 (19),194004 (2021);
doi:10.1088/1361-648x/abed1b

Comparing equilibration schemes of high-molecular-weight polymer melts with topological indicators
Luca Tubiana, Hideki Kobayashi, Raffaello Potestio, Burkhard Duenweg, Kurt Kremer, Peter Virnau, Kostas Daoulas
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, (2021);
doi:10.1088/1361-648x/abf20c

A minimal Gō-model for rebuilding whole genome structures from haploid single-cell Hi-C data
S. Wettermann, M. Brems, J.T. Siebert, G.T. Vu, T.J. Stevens, P. Virnau
Computational Materials Science173,109178 (2020);
doi:10.1016/j.commatsci.2019.109178

Can Soft Models Describe Polymer Knots?
Jianrui Zhang, Hendrik Meyer, Peter Virnau, Kostas Ch. Daoulas
Macromolecules53 (23),10475-10486 (2020);
doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02079

Generic Model for Lamellar Self-Assembly in Conjugated Polymers: Linking Mesoscopic Morphology and Charge Transport in P3HT
Cristina Greco, Anton Melnyk, Kurt Kremer, Denis Andrienko, Kostas Ch. Daoulas
Macromolecules52 (3),968-981 (2019);
doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01863

Mapping onto Ideal Chains Overestimates Self-Entanglements in Polymer Melts
Hendrik Meyer, Eric Horwath, Peter Virnau
ACS Macro Letters7 (6),757-761 (2018);
doi:10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00210

Contact

Dr.KostasDaoulas
Max Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung
Ackermannweg 10
D-55128Mainz
Tel:+49 6131 379 218
Fax:+49 6131 379340
kostas.daoulasvUS_qfQiiA@R-sHbQmpip-mainz.mpg.de
http://www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de/~daoulas/

Dr.PeterVirnau
Institut für Physik
Universität Mainz
Staudingerweg 9
D-55128Mainz
Tel:+49 6131 39 20493
Fax:+49 6131 39 20496
virnauJexWMXhP@lZK-MlJhuni-mainz de
https://www.komet1.physik.uni-mainz.de/people/peter-virnau