Phase Separation Kinetics of Polyelectrolyte Solutions

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Clustering of charged macromolecules in aqueous solutions and their thermodynamic stability are of central importance in all forms of life. Polyelectrolyte solutions in water exhibit complex behavior and present many intellectual challenges. Experiments using light scattering and neutron scattering, and theoretical and modeling investigations of polyelectrolyte phase behavior are proposed. The proposal contains two major challenges. In the first, the molecular origins of the nature and extent of clustering among similarly charged polyelectrolytes mediated by divalent counterions will be explored. In the second, the kinetics of phase separation in polyelectrolyte solutions will be measured and understood. The specific experimental system of the proposed research is aqueous solutions of sodium polystyrene sulfonate containing known amounts of barium chloride. The results of the proposed work will provide a fundamental understanding of polyelectrolyte phase behavior.The proposed research will have impact in medical research on disease control and a number of key industries including food, cosmetics, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, polyelectrolytes are emerging to be the most important, and least understood, materials. Training of graduate students in this important research area is the strong educational component of the proposed activity.