2000/04/07 by Thomas A. Vilgis, T. A. Vilgis, Vilgis, T. A. +5
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Electrostatics and Colloid Interactions #FOS: Physical sciences #Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Surfactants and Colloidal Systems #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #cond-mat.soft
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0004113
submitted to EPJE
arxiv created 2000/04/07 · openalex publication_date 2000/04/07 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We study theoretically using scaling arguments the behavior of polyelectrolyte gels in poor solvents. Following the classical picture of Katchalsky, our approach is based on single chain elasticity but it accounts for the recently proposed pearl-necklace structure of polyelectrolytes in poor solvents. The elasticity both of gels at swelling equilibrium and of partially swollen, non equilibrium, gels is studied when parameters such as the ionic strength or the fraction of charged monomers are varied. Our theory could be useful to interpret recent experiments performed in Strasbourg that show that if identical gel samples are swollen to the same extent at different pH the sample with the highest charge has the lowest shear modulus.