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Ion Multivalence and Like-Charge Polyelectrolyte Attraction

John C. Butler, Thomas Angelini, Jay X. Tang, and Gerard C. L. Wong
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 028301 – Published 11 July 2003
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Abstract

It is known empirically that multivalent ions generate attractions between like-charged polyelectrolytes, with different valence requirements for different systems. How multivalent must an ion be before it can condense a given polyelectrolyte? Using charge-tunable M13 virus rods and a family of artificial homologous “dumbbell” divalent ions of different sizes, we have constructed a multivalent ion-polyelectrolyte phase diagram, and find an experimentally motivated general criterion for like-charged attraction based on the ion valence, ion size, and the Gouy-Chapman length.

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  • Received 25 March 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.028301

©2003 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

John C. Butler1, Thomas Angelini1, Jay X. Tang2, and Gerard C. L. Wong1,*

  • 1Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Department of Physics, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA

  • *Corresponding author. Electronic address: gclwong@uiuc.edu

See Also

The Attraction of Like Charges

Kim Krieger
Phys. Rev. Focus 12, 3 (2003)

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Issue

Vol. 91, Iss. 2 — 11 July 2003

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