Thermophoretic mobility of polymers

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Werner Köhler
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Physics of Polymers
• Term: from 2013 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 247616012

The aim of the project is to continue and intensify an already existing collaboration between the applicant and Prof. Konstantin I. Morozov during a sabbatical leave of absence at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, for a total of six weeks. The focus of the work shall be on the thermophoretic mobility of polymers. The thermophoretic mobility of high polymers in solution does not depend on the molar mass. Recently, it has been shown by the group of the applicant that there is a significant deviation from this rule for shorter chains and that the relevant entities for polymer thermophoresis are correlated units comparable to the Kuhn segment. The applicant and his host have already started to develop a simple model that explains the universal value of the thermal diffusion coefficient of stiff polymers by the same mechanism that governs the isotope Soret effect in mixtures of small molecules. During the visit to Haifa the applicant and K. Morozov plan to further develop the theorie for polymer thermophoresis, to reevaluate data measured in the group of the applicant and to identify relevant questions for future experiments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Konstantin Morozov