title: Flexible polyelectrolyte conformation in the presence of oppositely charged surfactants.
abstract: Conformational behavior of flexible polyelectrolytes in the presence of monovalent cationic surfactants is examined. A simple model is presented for the formation of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes in salt-free solutions in the framework of the Debye-Hückel-Bjerrum-Manning and Flory theories, including explicitly the hydrophobic interactions between the associated surfactant molecules on the polyelectrolyte. The distribution of complexes is calculated as a function of the surfactant concentration and a discrete conformational transition between an elongated coil and a compact globule was found, in agreement with experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Instituto de Física e Matemática, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Caixa Postal 354, CEP 96010-900, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diehl
mesh_terms: D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D002412:Cations; D000077286:Cetrimonium; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004573:Electrolytes; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007477:Ions; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D002593:Cetrimonium Compounds; D004573:Electrolytes; D007477:Ions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D004247:DNA; D000077286:Cetrimonium