Integral equation theory of solutions of rigid polyelectrolytes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The properties of dilute and semidilute solutions of rigid polyelectrolytes are investigated using integral equationtheory. The theory predicts liquidlike structure on length scales of the order of the length of the molecules in dilute solution. This structure appears at concentrations much lower than the overlap threshold concentration, and disappears when the concentration is sufficiently high. Liquidlike order reappears at higher concentrations on a lengthscale of the order of the thickness of the rods. The predictions of the theory for the static structure factor in tobacco mosaic virussolutions are in good agreement with light scattering experiments in both dilute and semidilute solutions. The theory predicts that k max ∼ρ ν , where k max is the position of the maximum in the structure factor and ρ is the concentration, with ν≈1/3 and 1/2 in the dilute and semidilute regimes, respectively. These values are consistent with experimental results. Predictions are also presented for rigid starlike polymers.