Adsorption of a correlated random copolymer chain at a liquid-liquid interface

Theoretical study of adsorption of an ideal correlated random copolymer chain at a liquid-liquid interface (ICRC-LL) is presented in this paper. Introduction of a certain referent system (a homopolymer chain in external attracting field) allows us to develop a principle of free energy calculation for ICRC-LL and to construct its phase diagram. Exponentially decaying (short-range) and oscillating correlations are considered in parallel that reveals easier adsorption for the first type of correlations. It is shown that chains with short-range and oscillating correlations undergo continuous (second-order) adsorption transition. For both types of correlations the transition temperature diverges when composition of a chain becomes symmetric. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)51033-2].