Liquid-like structure of charged colloidal dispersions in the presence of screening ions

Structure of peptide solutions: a light scattering and numerical study

We investigated the interactions between protein molecules in solution, in particular for low salt concentrations and thus strong electrostatic interactions where a treatment based on the second virial coefficient is not sufficient. Static and dynamic light scattering experiments on solutions containing the peptide human calcitonin (hCT) were combined with calculations based on the Ornstein-Zernike equation with the hypernetted chain (HNC) closure and computer simulations within the primitive electrolyte model. The simulation illustrates the distribution of proteins in solution and the formation of (transient) protein aggregates. It furthermore allows us to predict the physical stability of hCT solutions in dependence of ionic strength, pH and hCT concentration.

Interaction potentials, structural ordering and effective charges in dispersions of charged colloidal particles

As colloidal dispersions of charged particles exhibit a wide variety of commercial, technological and scientific applications, a considerable theoretical effort has been devoted to finding an effective interaction potential from primitive models. The forces derived from this potential should justify the spatial ordering experimentally observed under certain conditions. This paper reviews the advances in these theoretical studies as well as some experiments (based on the mentioned order) that try to corroborate them. Special attention has been paid to the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) potential. Nowadays, many of these theoretical investigations suggest that it could be applied if some of its parameters are renormalized. Nevertheless, to achieve a renormalization procedure in a strict way (from a primitive model) is a difficult task as a result of the size and charge asymmetries between small ions and macroions. Thus, several procedures for computing renormalized charges in a simple way have been developed. However, the notion of effective charge has also been widely used (as a adjustable parameter) in order to justify results found for several kinds of colloids (like solid particle dispersions or micellar systems) by means of quite different experimental techniques. Renormalization (as well as ion condensation) approaches, experiments and the controversial relationship between theoretical and phenomenological effective charges are also reviewed in this work.

Probing Electrostatic Forces in Colloidal Suspensions through Turbidity Data

This paper deals with the use of turbidimetry to obtain information on forces between negatively charged polymeric particles at very low ionic strength. The specific turbidity of deionized colloidal suspensions is measured and compared with the values obtained for suspensions of noninteracting particles. From these data, the integrated structure factors are experimentally obtained for several latex samples. These functions are fitted using the repulsive part of the DLVO potential, the Ornstein-Zernike equation, and the hyper-netted chain closure, which enables us to interpret the results in terms of an effective charge. The reliability of these values is discussed. In addition, a comparison between turbidimetry and light scattering data is presented. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Effective Charge on Polymer Colloids Obtained Using a Renormalization Model

Static light scattering has been used to study the electrostatic interaction between colloidal particles. Experiments were carried out using a latex with a very small diameter, allowing structure determination at high particle concentration. The obtained effective charge characterizing this interaction is found to be smaller than the bare charge determined from titration. A renormalization model connecting both values has been used. The agreement between the renormalized charge and that obtained from scattering data seems to point out that this model operates well. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.