Quantitative Theory of the Globule-to-Coil Transition. 4. Comparison of Theoretical Results with Experimental Data

In this series of papers new results and a brief review of the current state of mean-field theories of the condensed globular state and of the globule-to-coil transition in the θ-region for a linear, homogeneous, noncharged macromolecule are presented. As a basis of our consideration, we use both Lifshitz's theory and interpolation Flory-type theory. Complete quantitative theoretical results are obtained and compared with experimental data. In this paper (the fourth in this series) we compare in detail our quantitative theoretical results with the available data of real experiments and computer simulations on single-chain gyration and hydrodynamic radii and on binodal and spinodal curves of a polymer solution phase diagram. The comparison manifests a rather good agreement of the mean-field theory with experiments. However, the question of the observation of equilibrium polystyrene-cyclohexane single-chain globules before solution precipitation remains to be discussed. Criterion of the globularity of an experimentally observed chain is discussed.