-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Aqueous solutions of charged spherical macroions with variable dielectric permittivity and their associated counterions are examined within the cell model using a field theory and Monte Carlo simulations. The field theory is based on separation of fields into short- and long-wavelength terms, which are subjected to different statistical-mechanical treatments. The simulations were performed by using a new, accurate, and fast algorithm for numerical evaluation of the electrostatic polarization interaction. The field theory provides counterion distributions outside a macroion in good agreement with the simulation results over the full range from weak to strong electrostatic coupling. A low-dielectric macroion leads to a displacement of the counterions away from the macroion.
The Journal of chemical physics 12/2011; 135(22):224508. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A heuristic model based on dielectric continuum theory for the long-range solvation free energy of a dipolar system possessing periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) is presented. The predictions of the model are compared to simulation results for Stockmayer fluids simulated using three different cell geometries. The boundary effects induced by the PBCs are shown to lead to anisotropies in the apparent dielectric constant and the long-range solvation free energy of as much as 50%. However, the sum of all of the anisotropic energy contributions yields a value that is very close to the isotropic one derived from dielectric continuum theory, leading to a total system energy close to the dielectric value. It is finally shown that the leading-order contribution to the energetic and structural anisotropy is significantly smaller in the noncubic simulation cell geometries compared to when using a cubic simulation cell.
Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation 12/2011; 7(12):4165-4174. · 5.22 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The adsorption of and conformation adopted by a branched-linear polymer conjugate to the hydrophilic silica-aqueous solution interface have been studied by in situ null ellipsometry and Monte Carlo simulations. The conjugate is a highly branched polyethyleneimine structure with ethyleneoxide chains grafted to its primary and secondary amino groups. In situ null ellipsometry demonstrated that the polymer conjugate adsorbs to the silica surface from water and aqueous solution of 1 mM asymmetric divalent salt (calcium and magnesium chloride to emulate hard water) over a large pH range. The adsorbed amount is hardly affected by pH and large charge reversal on the negatively charged silica surface occurred at pH = 4.0, due to the adsorption of the cationic polyelectrolyte. The Monte Carlo simulations using an appropriate coarse-grained model of the polymer in solution predicted a core-shell structure with no sharp boundary between the ethyleneimine and ethyleneoxide moieties. The structure at the interface is similar to that in solution when the polymer degree of protonation is low or moderate while at high degree of protonation the strong electrostatic attraction between the ethyleneimine core and oppositely charged silica surface distorts the ethyleneoxide shell so that an "anemone"-like configuration is adopted. The adsorption of alkyl benzene sulfonic acid (LAS) to a preadsorbed polymer layer was also investigated by null ellipsometry. The adsorption data brought additional support for the existence of a strong polymer adsorption and showed the presence of a binding which was further enhanced by the decreased solvency of the surfactant in the salt solution and confirmed the surface charge reversal by the polymer adsorption at pH = 4.0.
Langmuir 08/2011; 27(16):9961-71. · 4.19 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A review of the literature on the calculation of electrostatic potentials, fields, and field gradients in systems consisting of charges and dipoles using the Ewald summation technique is presented. Discrepancies between the previous formulas are highlighted, and an error in the derivation of the reciprocal contributions to the electrostatic field and field gradient is corrected. The new formulas for the field and field gradient are shown to exhibit a termwise identity with the ones for the electrostatic energy.
The Journal of chemical physics 06/2011; 134(22):224104. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The redissolution of water-insoluble polyion-surfactant ion complexes by added excess of surfactant has systematically been investigated in experimental and theoretical phase equilibrium studies. A number of stoichiometric polyion-surfactant ion "complex salts" were synthesized and they consisted of akyltrimethylammonium surfactant ions of two different alkyl chain lengths (C(12)TA(+) and C(16)TA(+)) combined with homopolyions of polyacrylate of two different lengths (PA(-)(25) and PA(-)(6000)) or copolyions of acrylate and the slightly hydrophobic nonionic comonomers N-isopropylacrylamide (PA(-)-co-NIPAM) or N,N-dimethylacrylamide (PA(-)-co-DAM). The complex salts were mixed with water and excess alkyltrimethylammonium surfactant with either bromide or acetate counterions (C(n)TABr or C(n)TAAc). Factors promoting efficient redissolution were (i) very short polyions, (ii) a large fraction of NIPAM or DAM comonomers, and (iii) acetate, rather than bromide, as the surfactant counterion. Added C(12)TAAc gave an efficient redissolution of C(12)TAPA(25) but virtually no redissolution of C(12)TAPA(6000). A very efficient redissolution by added C(12)TAAc was obtained for PA(-)-co-NIPAM with 82 mol % of NIPAM. The C(12)TAPA-co-NIPAM/C(12)TAAc/H(2)O ternary phase diagram closely resembled the corresponding diagram for the much-studied pair cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose-(sodium) dodecyl sulfate. The simple Flory-Huggins theory adopted for polyelectrolyte systems successfully reproduced the main features of the experimental phase diagrams for the homopolyion systems, including the effect of the surfactant counterion. The efficient redissolution found for certain copolyion systems was explained by the formation of soluble polyion-surfactant ion complexes carrying an excess of surfactant ions through an additional hydrophobic attraction.
Langmuir 01/2011; 27(2):592-603. · 4.19 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The influence of counterions and co-ions on the stability and thickness of foam films stabilized by anionic dodecyl sulfate (DS(-)) has been studied in a thin film pressure balance. Particularly, the effect on the properties of foam films of (i) the counterions Li(+), Na(+), and Cs(+) of DS(-) and (ii) monovalent inorganic salts added to sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions is considered. Generally, addition of salt improved the stability of the foam films. As a second order, an increasing ionic size led to an increased adsorption, which in the case of cations gave thinner and less stable films and in the case of anions led to thicker and more stable films. Hence, an effect of anions was observed though the film surfaces were already negatively charged by the anionic DS(-), leading to the conclusion that adsorption of anions to the film surface is governed by ion specific rather than electrostatic interactions. At a fixed surfactant and varying salt concentration, a maximum in film thickness could be identified at a salt concentration well below the surfactant concentration. We anticipate that (i) at low salt concentration salt mainly affects the charging of a film interface, whereas (ii) at high salt concentration salt mainly affects the screening of the electrostatic repulsion between the two interfaces of the film.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 11/2010; 114(47):15523-9. · 3.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: An exact treatment of the van der Waals interaction between two spherical dielectric bodies possessing purely classical degrees of freedom is presented. The spheres are described by multipole expansions of their fluctuating charge distributions, and the correlation between the fluctuations are taken into account using classical electrostatics and statistical mechanics. The presented approach avoids both the assumption of pairwise additivity of Hamaker theory and the implicit linear response assumption of Lifshitz theory. The resulting equations are solved numerically for D/a ≥ 0.01, where a is the radius of the spheres and D is their minimum separation, for a system with ε = 80, and the results are compared to the analytical Hamaker formula with a Hamaker constant calculated from Lifshitz theory.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 10/2010; 114(42):13372-80. · 3.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Molecular simulations of strongly coupled dipolar systems of varying size have been carried out, using particles confined inside a dielectric cavity and an image charge approach to treat the dielectric response from the surroundings. A simple method using penalty functions was employed to create an isotropic and homogeneous distribution of particles inside the cavity. The dielectric response of the molecular system was found to increase as the number of particles N was increased. Nevertheless, a significant surface effect remained even for the largest systems (N=10,000), manifesting itself through a decrease in the dielectric constant of the system as the confining surface was approached. The surface effect was significantly reduced by using a negative dielectric constant of the surrounding dielectric medium, although accomplishing a full dielectric solvation of the molecular system was not possible.
The Journal of chemical physics 03/2010; 132(10):104507. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Adsorption of mixed polymer solutions in good solvent containing polymers of different chain length has been studied by applying simulation techniques on a coarse-grained bead-spring polymer model. Fully flexible polymers at varying bead-surface interaction strength and different combinations of flexible, semiflexible, and stiff polymers at a single bead-surface interaction strength have been examined. Monte Carlo simulation techniques have been employed to investigate static equilibrium properties and Brownian dynamic simulations to follow the dynamics of the adsorption process. The properties examined comprise the adsorbed number of polymers, adsorbed number of beads, bead density profiles, components of the polymer radius of gyration, tail, loop, and train configurations, and nematic bond order of adsorbed beads. The adsorption involves an initially independent adsorption of the two polymer types followed by competitive adsorption. The competitive adsorption is characterized by a maximum of the adsorbed amount and a desorption of the polymer with the smallest surface affinity and a continued, but reduced, growth of the adsorbed amount of the polymer with the largest surface affinity. The surface affinity difference between the two polymer types of different length increased with increasing bead-surface interaction. Furthermore, the surface affinity of a polymer initially decreased but then largely increased at increasing stiffness. As a consequence, a stiff short polymer was found to displace a 4-fold longer flexible polymer. The spatial extension of adsorbed polymers as characterized by the radius of gyration parallel and perpendicular to the surface of a polymer of a given flexibility was independent of the flexibility of the other polymer type. The fraction of beads in tails was increased and in trains reduced as the surface affinity of the dissimilar polymer type was raised. Finally, the adsorption layer of a stiff polymer possesses a nematic bond order. In mixed polymer systems, the nematic bond order of a given polymer type manifests a dependence on the flexibility of the other type.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 02/2010; 114(11):3741-53. · 3.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: General expressions for two-center electrostatic potential correlations and its use to determine (i) the effective interaction between simple ions in a dipolar solvent and (ii) the dielectric permittivity of the solvent are proposed. Such two-center potential correlations were determined from Monte Carlo simulations of spherically confined dipolar particles embedded in a dielectric medium described by using an image charge approximation. The deduced dielectric permittivities increased with increasing dipolar moment, and at large dipole moments the effective interaction displayed an attractive first minimum.
The Journal of chemical physics 02/2010; 132(8):084508. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A strongly coupled dipolar fluid confined in a sphere has been examined by Monte Carlo simulations using a modified distance-dependent pair interaction to emulate retardation effects. The effective dipole-dipole interaction and a property closely related to Kirkwood's g-factor have been analyzed for potentials with different distances at which the retardation effects became effective. The retardation effects were found to break the otherwise long-range structural ordering occurring in strongly coupled dipolar fluids.
The Journal of chemical physics 02/2010; 132(5):054505. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Long-range solvation properties of strongly coupled dipolar systems simulated using the Ewald and reaction field methods are assessed by using electric fluctuation formulas for a dielectric medium. Some components of the fluctuating electric multipole moments are suppressed, whereas other components are favored as the boundary of the simulation box is approached. An analysis of electrostatic interactions in a periodic cubic system suggests that these structural effects are due to the periodicity embedded in the Ewald method. Furthermore, the results obtained using the reaction field method are very similar to those obtained using the Ewald method, an effect which we attribute to the use of toroidal boundary conditions in the former case. Thus, the long-range solvation properties of polar liquids simulated using either of the two methods are nondielectric in their character.
The Journal of chemical physics 10/2009; 131(16):164507. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The formation and microstructure of a novel microemulsion based on a salt-free catanionic surfactant have been examined by considering the hexadecyltrimethylammonium octylsulfonate (TASo)-decane-D2O system and using small-angle neutron scattering and self-diffusion NMR. With focus on the emulsification failure boundary, o/w discrete droplets have been observed and characterized for all of the studied microemulsion range. The evaluation of the experimental data was facilitated by using structure factors of a model system composed of charged particles interacting with a screened Coulomb potential. Furthermore, a more simplified model involving a charge regulation mechanism has been employed. Both approaches support the view that the droplets are mainly spherical, fairly monodisperse, and charged. The net charge of the surfactant film is a consequence of the partial dissociation of the short-chain counterpart, owing to its higher solubility. We have further quantified how the droplet charge varies with volume fraction and, from that dependence, explained the unusual phase behavior of the TASo-water system, a seldom found coexistence of two lamellar liquid-crystalline phases in a binary system. This coexistence is quantitatively modeled in terms of a fine balance between the attractive and repulsive colloidal forces acting within the system.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 08/2009; 113(30):10230-9. · 3.70 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A general expression for the distribution of the fluctuating 2(l)-pole moment M(l) of a spherical sample of dielectric material is derived on the basis of dielectric theory combined with statistical mechanics. The formulas are compared with results from computer simulations of a weakly coupled Stockmayer fluid and the agreement is shown to be excellent. Furthermore, we calculate the size of the coupling, quantified through the free energy of solvation A(solv), of the fluctuating electric moments to a surrounding dielectric medium. It turns out that the contribution to A(solv) from each fluctuating electric moment actually increases with increasing order l of the moment, resulting in a formally infinite free energy of solvation. We also present a correction to A(solv) for molecular media, which shows that the molecular nature of the surrounding medium effectively suppresses the divergence in the solvation free energy.
The Journal of chemical physics 04/2009; 130(12):124521. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The long-range order in strongly coupled dipolar systems has been studied using large-scale simulations for systems containing up to 100 000 particles. It is found that the boundary conditions used strongly influence the result. It is found that a periodic system modeled with the minimum image approximation yields an artificial order, whereas the same system described using the Ewald summation technique is slightly less long-range ordered, as compared to the results obtained from studies on a non-periodical spherical droplet. Analytical expressions together with scaling considerations suggest that dipolar systems are structured on all length scales. However, more extensive studies are needed to fully assess the impact of using different boundary conditions on the long-range structure of polar liquids.
Journal of Physics Condensed Matter 11/2008; 20(49):494204. · 2.55 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The potential of mean force between two spherical and like-charged macroions in a salt-free aqueous solution has been determined using an extended primitive model and canonical Monte Carlo simulations. The systems considered covered the range from a purely repulsive to a purely attractive potential of mean force as the electrostatic coupling was increased. The macroions were modeled as spherical dielectric cavities, and the polarization surface charge densities occurring at the dielectric discontinuities were expanded in spherical harmonics. The surface polarization gave rise to (i) an attenuation of the counterion accumulation at the macroion surfaces at all cases considered, (ii) an enhanced repulsive potential of mean force in the weak to intermediate electrostatic coupling regime, and (iii) a less attractive at short separation and an enhanced attractive potential of mean force at longer macroion-macroion separation in the strong electrostatic coupling regime.
The Journal of chemical physics 10/2008; 129(11):114505. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
Per Linse
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A united description of the electrostatics of an arbitrary number of electrostatic multipoles, each localized in a spherical dielectric cavity, in a dielectric medium is presented. The permanent charges as well as the polarization surface charges are described by multipole expansions in standard format. Expressions of the polarization surface charge density, the electrostatic potential energy, and the electrostatic interaction including the contribution from the polarization surface charge densities are given. Interacting electrostatic multipoles in dielectric spheres immersed in a medium with a higher (lower) relative dielectric permittivity experience a repulsive (attractive) potential term that increases in magnitude at reduced multipole separation, originating from the polarization surface charges appearing at the dielectric interfaces. Simplified expressions applied to monopoles and to two dielectric cavities are provided. Numerical examples involving monopoles and dipoles quantifying the effect of the surface polarization are also included.
The Journal of chemical physics 07/2008; 128(21):214505. · 3.09 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The adsorption of colloids of varying sizes and charges onto a surface that carries both negative and positive charges, representing a membrane, has been investigated using a simple model employing Monte Carlo simulations. The membrane is made of positive and negative charges (headgroups) that are allowed to move along the membrane, simulating the translational diffusion of the lipids, and are also allowed to protrude into the solution, giving rise to a fluid and soft membrane. When an uncharged colloid is placed in the vicinity of the membrane, a short-range repulsion between the colloid and the membrane is observed and the membrane will deflect to avoid coming into contact with the colloid. When the colloid is charged, the membrane response is twofold: the headgroups of the membrane move toward the colloid, as if to partly embrace it, and the positive headgroups of the membrane approach the oppositely charged colloid, inducing the demixing of the membrane lipids (polarization). The presence of protrusions enhances the polarization of the membrane. Potential of mean force calculations show that protrusions give rise to a more long-range attractive colloid-membrane potential which has a smaller magnitude at short separations.
Biophysical Journal 06/2008; 94(10):3760-8. · 3.65 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The application of scattering methods in the study of biological and biomedical problems is a field of research that is currently experiencing fast growth. In particular, neutron reflectometry (NR) is a technique that is becoming progressively more widespread, as indicated by the current commissioning of several new reflectometers worldwide. NR is valuable for the characterization of biomolecules at interfaces due to its capability to provide quantitative structural and compositional information on relevant molecular length scales. Recent years have seen an increasing number of applications of NR to problems related to drug and gene delivery. We start our review by summarizing the experimental methodology of the technique with reference to the description of biological liquid interfaces. Various methods for the interpretation of data are then discussed, including a new approach based on the lattice mean-field theory to help characterize stimulus-responsive surfaces relevant to drug delivery function. Recent progress in the subject area is reviewed in terms of NR studies relevant to the delivery of lipids and DNA to surfaces. Lastly, we discuss two case studies to exemplify practical features of NR that are exploited in combination with complementary techniques. The first case concerns the interactions of lipid-based cubic phase nanoparticles with model membranes (a drug delivery application), and the second case concerns DNA compaction at surfaces and in the bulk solution (a gene delivery application).
Biointerphases 06/2008; 3(2):FB64. · 2.21 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The effect of salt on the location and structure of a flexible polyelectrolyte confined inside a viral capsid and the Donnan equilibrium of the salt across the capsid have been examined using a coarse-grained model solved by Monte Carlo simulations. The polyelectrolyte was represented by a linear jointed chain of charged beads, and the capsid was represented by a spherical shell with embedded charges. At low salt concentration, the polyelectrolyte was strongly adsorbed onto the inner capsid surface, whereas at high salt concentration it was located preferentially in the central part of the capsid. Under the condition of equal Debye screening length, the electrostatic screening increased as the valence of the polyelectrolyte counterion was increased. The distribution of the small cations and anions was unequal across the capsid. An excess of polyelectrolyte counterions occurred inside the capsid, and the excess increased with the salt concentration. A simplified representation of the small ions through the use of the screened Coulomb potential provided only a qualitatively correct picture; the electrostatic screening originating from the small ions was exaggerated.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 08/2007; 111(29):8477-85. · 3.70 Impact Factor
