文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Complex Coacervation in Asymmetric Solutions of Polycation and Polyanion

作者：Wang, Fuhan[1];Xu, Xiaofei[2,3];Zhao, Shuangliang[2,3]

机构：[1]Soochow Univ, Ctr Soft Condensed Matter Phys & Interdisciplinar, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, Peoples R China;[2]East China Univ Sci & Technol, State Key Lab Chem Engn, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China;[3]East China Univ Sci & Technol, Sch Chem Engn, Shanghai 200237, Peoples R China

年份：2019

卷号：35

期号：47

起止页码：15267

外文期刊名：LANGMUIR

收录：;EI(收录号：20194707710418);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:000500039900032)】；

基金：This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 21674077 and U1707602. X.X. gratefully acknowledges the hospitality of the University of Dayton China Institute (UDCI), where this paper was written out.

语种：英文

外文关键词：Density functional theory - Structure (composition)

摘要：We study coacervation upon mixing two aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes (PEs) with opposite charge, by considering asymmetric effects of PE composition and charge valency. The phase behavior, interfacial structure, and coacervate composition are investigated by a classical density-functional theory. We find two types of coacervation that are different in their density. Supernatant phase in low-density coacervation (LDCA) fully consists of small ions, while in high-density coacervation (HDCA) it contains a considerable amount of PE chains. Asymmetric PE composition could generate an electric double layer at the interface of coacervate. For HDCA, ion density changes monotonically, while for LDCA it shows a global minimum at the double layer, giving a low tension value. Charged species of high charge valency enhance the existence of double layer. Our results explained the coacervate structure of low interfacial tension, which is important for experiments and industrial applications.