In:
MRS Proceedings, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 1234 ( 2009)
Abstract:
Polyelectrolyte (PE) gels exhibit complex phase behavior that includes the existence of nanostructures in poor-solvent conditions. The formation of these inhomogeneous structures is made possible by the competition between the short-range hydrophobic, elastic, and entropic interactions and the long-range electrostatic forces. We develop a theoretical framework that describes the effect of monomer and charge inhomogeneities in PE gels. Numerical calculations performed on a salt-free PE gel with one-dimensional heterogeneities demonstrate the presence of nanophases for a finite range of physical parameters.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0272-9172
,
1946-4274
DOI:
10.1557/PROC-1234-QQ02-07
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2009