Local entropic effects of polymers grafted to soft interfaces

In this paper, we study the equilibrium properties of polymer chains end-te thered to a fluid membrane. The loss of conformational entropy of the polym er results in an inhomogeneous pressure field that we calculate for Gaussia n chains. We estimate the effects of excluded volume through a relation bet ween pressure and concentration. Under the polymer pressure, a soft surface will deform. We calculate the deformation profile for a fluid membrane and show that close to the grafting point, this profile assumes a cone-like sh ape, independently of the boundary conditions. Interactions between differe nt polymers are also mediated by the membrane deformation. This pair-additi ve potential is attractive for chains grafted on the same side of the membr ane and repulsive otherwise.