Intramolecular phase separation of a copolymer chain with mobile primary structure

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Abstract
The phenomenon of intramolecular phase separation of a single copolymer chain with mobile primary structure (i.e., a polymer chain with reversibly adsorbable ligands) in dilute solution is investigated on the basis of a Flory‐type interpolation theory of the coil‐globule phase transition. It is shown that under certain critical conditions the stability of the homogeneous primary structure is violated and intramolecular phase separation takes place. Phase diagrams for the cases of rigid and flexible chains are calculated. The main characteristics of a polymer chain in the two‐phase state (such as fraction of monomeric units, swelling coefficient and fraction of units with ligands for coexisting intramolecular phases) are investigated.