Polyelectrolyte Properties

A major focus in our research group over the years has concerned the basic physical properties of polyelectrolytes in solution; scattering, interactions, conformations, and hydrodynamics. In the past it was often thought that polyelectrolyte solutions were almost impossible to measure reproducibly by light scattering, especially at low ionic strength. While it is true that the scattering from polyelectrolyte solutions decreases dramatically as ionic strength decreases, which can lead to artifacts in solutions which are either not in equilibrium or poorly prepared, advances in modern light scattering practice and sample preparation technology have made possible high quality, quantitative scattering measurements.