A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Interactions between Rigid Polyelectrolytes Mediated by Ordering and Orientation of Multivalent Nonspherical Ions in Salt Solutions




AuthorsVahid, Hossein; Scacchi, Alberto; Sammalkorpi, Maria; Ala-Nissila, Tapio

PublisherAMER PHYSICAL SOC

Publishing placeCOLLEGE PK

Publication year2023

JournalPhysical Review Letters

Journal name in sourcePHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Journal acronymPHYS REV LETT

Article number 158202

Volume130

Issue15

Number of pages6

ISSN0031-9007

eISSN1079-7114

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.158202(external)


Abstract
Multivalent ions in solutions with polyelectrolytes (PEs) induce electrostatic correlations that can drastically change ion distributions around the PEs and their mutual interactions. Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we show how in addition to valency, ion shape and concentration can be harnessed as tools to control rigid like-charged PE-PE interactions. We demonstrate a correlation between the orientational ordering of aspherical ions and how they mediate the effective PE-PE attraction induced by multivalency. The interaction type, strength, and range can thus be externally controlled in ionic solutions. Our results can be used as generic guidelines to tune the self-assembly of like-charged polyelectrolytes by variation of the characteristics of the ions.



Last updated on 2025-27-01 at 19:36