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Phase behavior of rod-like virus and polymer mixture

Zvonimir Dogic·Seth Fraden
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Abstract

We have prepared a homologous series of filamentous viruses with varying contour length using molecular cloning techniques. These viruses are monodisperse enough to form a stable smectic phase. Two systems are studied. The first system consists of viruses to which polymers are covalently attached to the virus surface. Through studies of the isotropic - cholesteric phase transition we demonstrate that covalently attached polymers alter the effective diameter of the virus. Additionally, we have produced mixtures of viruses whose ratio of effective diameters varies by a factor of five. The second system is composed of mixtures of rod-like viruses and non-absorbing polymers. With this system we study the kinetics of the isotropic - smectic phase transition and describe observations of a number of novel metastable structures of unexpected complexity.

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Zvonimir Dogic, Seth Fraden. 2000-10-18. Phase behavior of rod-like virus and polymer mixture. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0010269

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