On the Adsorption of Two-State Polymers

Monte Carlo(MC) simulations produce evidence that annealed copolymers incorporating two interconverting monomers, P and H, adsorb as homopolymers with an effective adsorption energy per monomer, $\epsilon_{eff}$, that depends on the PH equilibrium constants in the bulk and at the surface. The cross-over exponent, $\Phi,$ is unmodified. The MC results on the overall PH ratio, the PH ratio at the surface and in the bulk as well as the number of adsorbed monomers are in quantitative agreement with this hypothesis and the theoretically derived $\epsilon_{eff}$. The evidence suggests that the form of surface potential does not affect $\Phi$ but does influence the PH equilibrium.