Role of cross-links in bundle formation, phase separation and gelation of long filaments
Role of cross-links in bundle formation, phase separation and gelation of long filaments
We predict the thermodynamic and structural behavior of solutions of self-assembling chains, cross-links and end-cap molecules. We find that at the mean-field level, the entropy of self-assembled junctions induces an effective attraction that can result in equilibrium between a sol phase and a connected network. A connected network can also …