Ion Entropy in Phase-Separated Aqueous Mixtures of Polyelectrolyte and Neutral Polymer

The macroscopic phase separation of aqueous mixtures of a neutral polymer and a polyelectrolyte is well described by a modified blob model, taking into account the entropy of ideal ions under the restriction of macroscopic charge neutrality. This is demonstrated by detailed measurements on aqueous m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Macromolecules 2015-04, Vol.48 (8), p.2819-2828
Main Authors: Vis, Mark, Peters, Vincent F. D, Erné, Ben H, Tromp, R. Hans
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The macroscopic phase separation of aqueous mixtures of a neutral polymer and a polyelectrolyte is well described by a modified blob model, taking into account the entropy of ideal ions under the restriction of macroscopic charge neutrality. This is demonstrated by detailed measurements on aqueous mixtures of a neutral polymer (dextran) and a polymer whose charge is adjustable via the pH (nongelling fish gelatin). The critical point of the phase diagram of demixing, the asymmetric distribution of the solvent, and the interfacial electric potential difference all depend on polyelectrolyte charge and background salt concentration in a manner that is consistent with a dominant role for ion entropy.
ISSN:0024-9297
1520-5835
DOI:10.1021/acs.macromol.5b00324