Phase behaviors of polymer solution confined between two concentric cylinders

A theoretical study on the phase behaviors of a polymer solution confined between two coaxial cylindrical walls is presented. For the case of a neutral inner cylinder, the spinodal point derived by the Gaussian fluctuation theory is confinement-independent because of the existence of a free dimension in the system. The kinetic analysis indicates that the fluctuation modes always have a component of a plane wave along the axial direction, which can lead to the formation of a periodic-like concentration pattern. On the other hand, the equilibrium structure of the system is obtained by the self-consistent mean-field theory (SCMFT) and the interplay between the “wetting” phenomenon and the phase separation is observed by modifying the property of the inner cylindrical wall. In particular, our results can be regarded as a hint to interpret the mechanism of the formation of the shish-kebab structure observed in the field of polymer crystallization.