Interaction between macroions mediated by divalent rod-like ions
Year: 2004
Type: article
Abstract: Attractive interactions between identical like-charged macroions in aqueous multivalent salt solution arise due to ion-ion correlations. The mean-field level Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theory does not predict such behavior for point-like structureless ions. Various multivalent ions, such as certain DNA condensing agents or short stiff polyelectrolytes, do have an internal, often rod-like, structure. Applying PB theory to the generic case of divalent rod-like salt ions, we find attraction between like-charged macroions above a critical distance between the two individual charges of the rod-like ions. We calculate this distance analytically within linearized PB theory. Numerical results for the non-linear PB theory indicate strong enhancement of the tendency to mediate attractive interactions.
Source: Europhysics Letters (EPL)
Institutions: University of Ljubljana, Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Language: English
Subfield: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1964172137