Complexation of charged colloids with polyelectrolyte stars
- Author(s)
- Arben Jusufi, Martin Konieczny, Christos Likos
- Abstract
We investigate the complexation of star-shaped polyelectroltyes (PEs) on oppositely charged colloids. Using Molecular Dynamics simulations, we study the chain adsorption on the colloidal surface at fixed size aspect ratio between star and colloid of around 0.6. Depending on the charge ratio between the colloid and the PE star, we observe a variety of star morphologies that were also observed in a recent work of stars on oppositely charged planar surfaces [M. Konieczny and C. N. Likos, Soft Matter 3, 1130 (2007)]. Another important parameter is the PE star functionality that determines the crossover areas for the various star structures. The morphologies are characterized by the degree of chain adsorption and their orientation with respect to the colloid center. An orientational parameter allows us to identify the various morphologies that range from partial chain adsorption to complete adsorption for which a "starfish" configuration is identified. We present a conformational phase diagram that summarizes the three dominant structures in the parameter space built up from the star functionality and the star-colloid charge ratio.
- Organisation(s)
- Computational and Soft Matter Physics
- External organisation(s)
- City University of New York, The Boston Consulting Group
- Journal
- Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie / International Journal of Research in Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics
- Volume
- 226
- Pages
- 585-596
- No. of pages
- 12
- ISSN
- 0942-9352
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1524/zpch.2012.0261
- Publication date
- 2012
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103023 Polymer physics, 103036 Theoretical physics, 103015 Condensed matter, 103029 Statistical physics
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/1b1d498c-03d0-4469-8f06-e1abfb1e5f8f