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Single polyelectrolyte macromolecule in the salt solution: Effect of escaped counter ions
Author(s) -
Vasilevskaya Valentina V.,
Khokhlov Alexei R.,
Yoshikawa Kenichi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
macromolecular theory and simulations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-3919
pISSN - 1022-1344
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3919(20001101)9:8<600::aid-mats600>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - polyelectrolyte , macromolecule , salt (chemistry) , ion , chemistry , chemical physics , chemical engineering , polymer science , polymer chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer , engineering , biochemistry
We developed simplest theory of swelling of polyelectrolyte macromolecules in the solution of low‐molecular salts. The novel feature taken into account is the electrostatic interaction between the macro‐ion and counter ions which escaped from the interior of the macromolecular coil and distributed in the whole volume of solution. The phase diagram in the variables solvent quality vs. salt concentrationis derived. One of the unexpected findings is that the total charge within the sphere surrounding the macro‐ion changes in a non‐monotonical manner with the increase of the salt concentration. In particular, our calculations predict that the electrophoretic mobility of a polyelectrolyte macromolecule can demonstrate non‐monotonic behavior with an increase of salt concentration. The results of the calculations are compared with those obtained under the assumption of electroneutrality of the macromolecule when all of the counter ions are kept within the effective volume of macromolecule.