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Dynamics of Polyelectrolytes

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Physics and Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2022) | Viewed by 9363

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
Interests: structure; dynamics; polyelectrolyte solutions; polyelectrolyte translocation; polyelectrolyte brushes; charged dendrimers; nonequilibrium phenomena; scaling analysis; molecular modeling; coarse-grained simulations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polyelectrolytes are ionisable polymers, exhibiting both polymeric and electrolyte characteristics in solutions. The morphological diversity of chains and complexity in ion distributions make polyelectrolyte behaviour very difficult to predict. Understanding polyelectrolyte systems remains one of the most challenging problems in polymer physics.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform discussing the dynamics of polyelectrolytes. Original papers and critical reviews on recent progresses of various dynamical properties of polyelectrolytes in solutions, melts or complexations are welcome for submission. Vast research topics can be addressed in this category, for example, the study of transport properties (diffusion, viscosity, etc.) of polyelectrolyte solutions, effect of the addition of salt and polymer concentrations, ionic structures and motions, relaxation time and chain correlation, adsorption of polyelectrolytes, dynamics of polyelectrolyte complexes, ionized polymers under flows, gel electrophoresis, electrophoretic mobility, dielectrophoresis, dynamics of charged chains in confined spaces, polyelectrolyte translocation, packing and ejection of polyelectrolytes, dynamics of polymers of diverse architectures such as ring or star polyelectrolytes, polyampholytes, tethered polyelectrolytes, polyelectrolyte brushes,  and so on.

Contributions focusing on experimental research into polyelectrolyte dynamics, simulations devoting on understanding the details of various mechanisms, theoretical studies explaining the phenomena and fundamental concepts, articles reporting advances using the state-of-the-art in the related fields and applications, etc. are all welcome.

Prof. Pai-Yi Hsiao
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Dynamics of polyelectrolyte;
  • Transport properties in polyelectrolyte solutions;
  • Polyelectrolyte melts and networks;
  • Ionic screening and ion condensation;
  • Polyelectrolytes under flows;
  • Polyelectrolytes in electric fields;
  • Electrophoresis of polyelectrolyte;
  • Complexation of polyelectrolyte;
  • Translocation of polyelectrolyte;
  • Polyelectrolytes in confinement;
  • Dynamics of ring or branched polyelectrolytes;
  • Polyelectrolyte brushes;
  • Polyampholytes;
  • Experiments;
  • Simulations;
  • Theories.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5058 KiB  
Article
Effect of Counterions on the Interaction among Concentrated Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes
by Yunwei Wang, Li Li, Yiming Wang, Qingsong Yang, Zhishuang Ye, Liang Sun, Fan Yang and Xuhong Guo
Polymers 2021, 13(12), 1911; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13121911 - 8 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2365
Abstract
The effect of counterions on interactions among spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) was systematically investigated by rheology, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The SPB particles consist of a solid polystyrene (PS) core with a diameter of ca.100 nm and a [...] Read more.
The effect of counterions on interactions among spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) was systematically investigated by rheology, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The SPB particles consist of a solid polystyrene (PS) core with a diameter of ca.100 nm and a chemically grafted poly-(acrylic acid) (PAA) brush layer. Metal ions of different valences (Na+, Mg2+ and Al3+) were used as counterions to study the interactions among concentrated SPBs. The so-called “structure factor peak” in SAXS, the “local ordered structure peak” in WAXS and rheological properties indicated the interactions among concentrated SPBs. Combining SAXS, WAXS and rheology, the formation mechanism of the local ordered structure among PAA chains in the overlapped area of adjacent SPB, which was generated due to the bridge function of counterions, was confirmed. In contrast, excessive counterions shielded the electrostatic interaction among PAA chains and destroyed the local ordered structure. This work enriches our understanding of the polyelectrolyte assembly in concentrated SPBs under the effect of counterions and lays the foundations for SPB applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Polyelectrolytes)
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12 pages, 2319 KiB  
Article
Marked Difference in the Conformational Transition of DNA Caused by Propanol Isomer
by Yue Ma, Yuko Yoshikawa, Hidehiro Oana and Kenichi Yoshikawa
Polymers 2020, 12(7), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12071607 - 19 Jul 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2928
Abstract
We measured the changes in the higher-order structure of DNA molecules (λ phage DNA, 48 kbp) at different concentrations of 1- and 2-propanol through single-molecular observation. It is known that 2-propanol is usually adapted for the procedure to isolate genomic DNA from living [...] Read more.
We measured the changes in the higher-order structure of DNA molecules (λ phage DNA, 48 kbp) at different concentrations of 1- and 2-propanol through single-molecular observation. It is known that 2-propanol is usually adapted for the procedure to isolate genomic DNA from living cells/organs in contrast to 1-propanol. In the present study, it was found that with an increasing concentration of 1-propanol, DNA exhibits reentrant conformational transitions from an elongated coil to a folded globule, and then to an unfolded state. On the other hand, with 2-propanol, DNA exhibits monotonous shrinkage into a compact state. Stretching experiments under direct current (DC) electrical potential revealed that single DNA molecules intermediately shrunk by 1- and 2-propanol exhibit intrachain phase segregation, i.e., coexistence of elongated and compact parts. The characteristic effect of 1-propanol causing the reentrant transition is argued in terms of the generation of water-rich nanoclusters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Polyelectrolytes)
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15 pages, 3188 KiB  
Article
Relationship between the Ionization Degree and the Inter-Polymeric Aggregation of the Poly(maleic acid-alt-octadecene) Salts Regarding Time
by Isabella Reyes, Maria M. Palacio, Cristhian J. Yarce, Jose Oñate-Garzón and Constain H. Salamanca
Polymers 2020, 12(5), 1036; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051036 - 2 May 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3215
Abstract
Alternating amphiphilic copolymers are macromolecular systems with a polarity duality in their structure, since they are generally formed by alternating segments corresponding to a potential electrolyte group and an alkyl (aliphatic or aromatic) group. These systems, depending on the ionization degree, as well [...] Read more.
Alternating amphiphilic copolymers are macromolecular systems with a polarity duality in their structure, since they are generally formed by alternating segments corresponding to a potential electrolyte group and an alkyl (aliphatic or aromatic) group. These systems, depending on the ionization degree, as well as the time, may form different types of intra and interpolymeric aggregates in aqueous media. Therefore, this study, which in fact is the continuation of a previously reported work, is focused on establishing how the ionization degree of the sodium and potassium salts of the poly(maleic acid-alt-octadecene) affect zeta potential, pH, electrical conductivity, particle size, polydispersity index, and surface tension over time. The results showed that polymeric salts with a high ionization degree in aqueous media formed homogeneous systems with bimodal sizes and high zeta potential values, which tended to quickly become less negative, lowering the pH and slightly increasing the electrical conductivity; while systems with low ionization degree lead to the opposite, forming heterodispersed systems with several populations of particle sizes, high polydispersity, low zeta potential values, neutral and invariable pH values, and high electrical conductivity values. Consequently, these results suggest that the values of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, pH, and electrical conductivity change regarding the polymeric ionization degree, as well as the time. Therefore, such variables should be considered and controlled when working with this kind of polymeric materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamics of Polyelectrolytes)
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