Some statistical properties of flexible ring polymers

Abstract

Abstract The conventional “string‐of‐beads” statistical model for flexible chain polymers is modified for derivation of configurational and thermodynamic properties of long‐chain ring molecules (i.e., flexible linear chains with ends joined) in dilute solution near the Flory temperature. The effect of the intramolecular excluded volume on the meansquare molecular radius is obtained to the first order of approximation; the second virial coefficient is given to the “double contact” approximation; and the angular intensity distribution for Rayleigh scattering is determined for the unperturbed molecule. Qualitatively, all these properties, in comparison to those for linear chains of the same mass, are affected as anticipated from the more compact nature of the ring model.