
Marie Skepö
Professor

Dissolution of a polyelectrolyte-macroion complex by addition of salt
Author
Summary, in English
The dissolution of complexes formed by a linear polyelectrolyte and oppositely charged macroions by addition of salt has been examined by employing a simple model with focus on the electrostatic interactions and solved by Monte Carlo simulations. In the absence of salt an overcharged complex appears. Upon addition of salt, the number of complexed macroions is continuously decreasing, the effect being similar for flexible and stiff polyelectrolytes. Regarding the flexible polyelectrolyte, the number of polyelectrolyte-macroion contacts is reduced, whereas it remains nearly constant for the stiff polyelectrolyte as the salt content is increased. A screened Coulomb potential of the Debye-Huckel type, in which the small ions are only indirectly described, displays a good representation of the system.
Department/s
- Department of Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
Publishing year
2002
Language
English
Publication/Series
Physical Review E
Volume
66
Issue
5
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
American Physical Society
Topic
- Physical Chemistry (including Surface- and Colloid Chemistry)
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1063-651X