A Modified Random Phase Approximation of Polyelectrolyte Solutions
Condensed Matter
2009-11-07 v2
Abstract
We compute the phase diagram of salt-free polyelectrolyte solutions using a modified Debye-Huckel Approach. We introduce the chain connectivity via the Random Phase Approximation with two important modifications. We modify the electrostatic potential at short distances to include a bound on the electrostatic attractions at the distance of closest approach between charges. This modification is shown to act as a hard core in the phase diagram of electrolyte solutions. We also introduce a cut-off on the integration of the modes of wave length smaller than the size over which the chains are strongly perturbed by the electrostatic interactions. This cut-off is shown to be essential to predict physical phase diagram in long chain solutions.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0211493,
title = {A Modified Random Phase Approximation of Polyelectrolyte Solutions},
author = {A. V. Ermoshkin and M. Olvera de la Cruz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0211493},
year = {2009}
}