Condensed Matter Physics, 2012, vol. 15, No. 3, p. 33801:1-14
DOI:10.5488/CMP.15.33801           arXiv:1210.2229

Title: Solvation force between tethered polyelectrolyte layers. A density functional approach
Author(s):
  O. Pizio (Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04360 México, D.F., México) ,
  A. Patrykiejew (Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 20031 Lublin, Poland) ,
  S. Sokołowski (Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 20031 Lublin, Poland) ,
  J.M. Ilnytskyi (Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1 Svientsitskii Str., 79011 Lviv, Ukraine)

We use a version of the density functional theory to study the solvation force between two plates modified with a tethered layer of chains. The chains are built of tangentially jointed charged spherical segments. The plates are immersed in an electrolyte solution that involves cations, anions and solvent molecules. The latter molecules are modelled as hard spheres. We study the dependence of the solvation force and the structure of chains and of solute molecules on the grafting density, length of chains, architecture of the chains and on concentration of the solute.

Key words: grafted polyelectrolyte, solvation force, adsorption, density functional theory
PACS: 82.35.Rs, 61.25.H-, 82.35.Gh, 82.35.Rs


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