First Order Phase Transition and Evidence for Frustrations in Polyampholytic Gels

Polyampholyte gel, frustrated by the conflicting interactions between its positive and negative monomers, can undergo a sharp discontinuous phase transition driven by changing either gel composition or solvent quality and/or permeability. This finding completes the investigation of all four major interactions involved in the biomolecular machinery with respect to their role in the behavior of polymer gels, considered here as a model of biopolymer system. The result also sheds light on the possible role of frustrations in biomolecular systems, such as proteins.