FRET measurement of polymer response under shear

Polymer solutions under shear flow are often observed in manufacturing processes. Classically, polymer behavior is represented by Kuhn’s bead-spring model, in which only the elongation of polymer chains is assumed. In recent years, the compression of polymer chains under shear flow has been reported. In this study, we investigated the behavior of polymer chains dissolved in various concentrations under shear flow. We measured the time variation of the fluorescence intensity emitted from a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) polymer, which enabled us to study the change in the distance between both ends of a polymer chain. The polymer chains appeared to stretch and compress depending on the concentration of the polymer solution. The results showed that the deformation of polymer chains was different from the classical theory. The FRET measurement is a promising diagnostic method for understanding the dynamics of polymer chains.