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Living polymers in a size-asymmetric electrolyte

Sorin Bastea
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Abstract

A living polymers transition is found in molecular dynamics simulations of a charge-symmetric size-asymmetric electrolyte with no anisotropic interactions. The fluid has strong polymeric character at low temperatures, where it consists of large, alternating-charge linear chains and rings in chemical equilibrium. A mean-field theory of chain association is consistent with the existence of such a transition. In the polymeric phase the system is very weakly conducting or electrically insulating.

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Sorin Bastea. 2002-08-21. Living polymers in a size-asymmetric electrolyte. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.66.020801

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