Scaling equations for a biopolymer in salt solution

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Dec 31;99(26):267801. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.267801. Epub 2007 Dec 26.

Abstract

The effect of the simultaneous presence of monovalent and divalent cations on the thermodynamics of polyelectrolyte solutions is an incompletely solved problem. In physiological conditions, combinations of these ions affect structure formation in biopolymer systems. Dynamic light scattering measurements of the collective diffusion coefficient D and the osmotic compressibility of semidilute hyaluronan solutions containing different ratios of sodium and calcium ions are compared with simple polyelectrolyte models. Scaling relationships are proposed in terms of polymer concentration and ionic strength J of the added salt. Differences in the effects of sodium and calcium ions are found to be expressed only through J.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Chloride / chemistry*
  • Cations
  • Hyaluronic Acid / chemistry*
  • Osmolar Concentration
  • Osmotic Pressure
  • Sodium Chloride / chemistry*
  • Solutions
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Cations
  • Solutions
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Calcium Chloride