DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF THE ADSORPTION OF A FLEXIBLE CHAIN

We describe a Brownian dynamics simulation of a flexible linear chain of 30 spherical segments adsorbing at a plane surface. The adsorption strength is expressed in terms of a single interaction energy parameter in a triangular segment-surface pair potential. Numerical results are presented for the effect of adsorption strength on the average equilibrium configuration of the adsorbed chain, interpreted in terms of a train-loop-tail representation, and on the chain diffusional behaviour in the vicinity of the interface. A generalization of this model may provide the basis for a convenient dynamical description of the adsorption of deformable macromolecular particles composed of clusters of interacting connected spherical subunits.