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arXiv · 2304.01818

Charge Regulation of Polyelectrolyte Gels: Swelling Transition

Bin Zheng·Yael Avni·David Andelman·Rudolf Podgornik
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Abstract

We study the effects of charge-regulated acid/base equilibrium on the swelling of polyelectrolyte gels, by considering a combination of the Poisson-Boltzmann theory and a two-site charge-regulation model based on the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. By exploring the volume change as a function of salt concentration for both nano-gels and micro-gels, we identify conditions where the gel volume exhibits a discontinuous swelling transition. This transition is driven exclusively by the charge-regulation mechanism and is characterized by a closed-loop phase diagram. Our predictions can be tested experimentally for polypeptide gels.

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Bin Zheng, Yael Avni, David Andelman, Rudolf Podgornik. 2023-04-04. Charge Regulation of Polyelectrolyte Gels: Swelling Transition. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00609

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