Raft instability of biopolymer gels.
Following recent x-ray diffraction experiments by Wong, Li, and Safinya on biopolymer gels, we apply Onsager excluded volume theory to a nematic mixture of rigid rods and strong " pi/2" cross-linkers obtaining a long-ranged, highly anisotropic depletion attraction between the linkers. This attraction leads to breakdown of the percolation theory for this class of gels, to breakdown of Onsager's second-order virial method, and to formation of heterogeneities in the form of raftlike ribbons.
Borukhov
I
I
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, USA.
Bruinsma
R F
RF
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry; D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical
D000199:Actins; D001704:Biopolymers; D005782:Gels; D004247:DNA