Single molecule experiments visualizing adsorbed polyelectrolyte molecules in the full range of mono- and divalent counterion concentrations.
This work provides direct experimental verification (on the level of single molecules) for the behavior of hydrophobic polyelectrolyte chains adsorbed at a solid-liquid interface in the full range of possible salt concentrations: (a) in a dilute salt solution, PE chains possess an extended coil conformation visualized as adsorbed 2D-equilibrated coils; (b) in a moderate salt concentration range, the polymer coil shrinks and approaches the dimensions of a polymer coil under θ-conditions and the chains are visualized as adsorbed 3D-projected coils; (c) at high salt concentrations, the polymer coils reexpand and the molecules are visualized as 2D-equilibrated extended coils; however, (d) reexpansion is limited in the presence of multivalent counterions, presumably due to the bridging of the polymer coils by the counterions.
Roiter
Yuri
Y
Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, USA.
Trotsenko
Oleksandr
O
Tokarev
Viktor
V
Minko
Sergiy
S
D000327:Adsorption; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D012492:Salts