Coupling hydrophobicity, dispersion, and electrostatics in continuum solvent models

An implicit solvent model is presented that couples hydrophobic, dispersion, and electrostatic solvation energies by minimizing the system Gibbs free energy with respect to the solvent volume exclusion function. The solvent accessible surface is the output of the theory. The method is illustrated with the solvation of simple solutes on different length scales and captures the sensitivity of hydration to the particular form of the solute-solvent interactions in agreement with recent computer simulations.     

Molecular dynamics computation of solvent contribution to work of ion solvation

Clusters of water with various (charged and neutral) solute particles were simulated by molecular dynamics, and the radial profiles of local density, energy, electric potential, normal pressure, and polarization were obtained. The work of cluster formation was calculated. On the basis of an estimate of the surface potential for the vacuum-liquid and liquid-solid interfaces, the linear contribution of the ion charge to the chemical work of solvation was determined. In the case of the K⁺ ion, the linear contribution to the total work of solvation proved to be practically negligible.     

Binding of oppositely charged membranes and membrane reorganization

We consider the electrostatic interaction between two rigid membranes, with different surface charge densities of opposite sign, across an aqueous solution without added salt. Exact solutions to the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation are obtained and their physical meaning discussed. We also calculate the electrostatic contribution to the free energy and discuss the renormalization of the area per head group of the charged lipids arising from the Coulomb interaction. Received 13 October 1998     

Effect of colloidal charge discretization in the primitive model

The effect of fixed discrete colloidal charges in the primitive model is investigated for spherical macroions. Instead of considering a central bare charge, as it is traditionally done, we distribute discrete charges randomly on the sphere. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study this effect on various properties such as overcharging, counterion distribution and diffusion. In the vicinity of the colloid surface the electrostatic potential may considerably differ from the one obtained with a central charge. In the strong Coulomb coupling, we showed that the colloidal charge discretization qualitatively influences the counterion distribution and leads to a strong colloidal charge-counterion pair association. However, we found that charge inversion still persists even if strong pair association is observed. Received 30 June 2000 and Received in final form 28 November 2000     

Spin relaxation measurements of electrostatic bias in intermolecular exploration

We utilize the paramagnetic contribution to proton spin-lattice relaxation rate constants induced by freely diffusing charged paramagnetic centers to investigate the effect of charge on the intermolecular exploration of a protein by the small molecule. The proton NMR spectrum provided 255 resolved resonances that report how the explorer molecule local concentration varies with position on the surface. The measurements integrate over local dielectric constant variations, and, in principle, provide an experimental characterization of the surface free energy sampling biases introduced by the charge distribution on the protein. The experimental results for ribonuclease A obtained using positive, neutral, and negatively charged small nitroxide radicals are qualitatively similar to those expected from electrostatic calculations. However, while systematic electrostatic trends are apparent, the three different combinations of the data sets do not yield internally consistent values for the electrostatic contribution to the intermolecular free energy. We attribute this failure to the weakness of the electrostatic sampling bias for charged nitroxides in water and local variations in effective translational diffusion constant at the water-protein interface, which enters the nuclear spin relaxation equations for the nitroxide-proton dipolar coupling.     

Free energies of supercritical solvation from molecular dynamics simulation and integral equation studies

We present here molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and integral equation (IE) studies on free energies of solvation of a non-polar solute in a dilute supercritical solvent to estimate the contribution of inhomogeneities in solvent density to the free energy of solvation. The solvation of a Xe-like solute in an Ne-like solvent as well as that of naphthalene in CO₂ have been investigated. At state points in the compressible region in the neighborhood of the solvent critical point, we have utilized the IE estimates of free energies to model the ideal situation where local density inhomogeneities would be absent. The difference between the free energies in the presence (as derived from MD simulation) and in the absence (from IE) of local density inhomogeneities was studied as a function of density along an isotherm close to the critical point. Although for low density supercritical solvents, a marked difference is observed, a study of the density dependence of this difference across the critical density does not directly reveal any signature of local density enhancement on the thermodynamics of solvation.     

Simulations of counterions at charged plates

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study the counterion distribution close to planar charged walls in two geometries: i) when only one charged wall is present and the counterions are confined to one half-space, and ii) when the counterions are confined between two equally charged walls. In both cases the surface charge is smeared out and the dielectric constant is the same everywhere. We obtain the counterion density profile and compare it with both the Poisson-Boltzmann theory (asymptotically exact in the limit of weak coupling, i.e. low surface charge, high temperature and low counterion valence) and the strong-coupling theory (valid in the opposite limit of high surface charge, low temperature and high counterion valence) and with previously calculated correction terms to both theories for different values of the coupling parameter, thereby establishing the domain of validity of the asymptotic limits. Gaussian corrections to the leading Poisson-Boltzmann behavior (obtained via a systematic loop expansion) in general perform quite poorly: At coupling strengths low enough so that the Gaussian (or one-loop) correction does describe the numerical deviations from the Poisson-Boltzmann result correctly, the leading Poisson-Boltzmann term by itself matches the data within high accuracy. This reflects the slow convergence of the loop expansion. For a single charged plane, the counterion pair correlation function indicates a behavioral change from a three-dimensional, weakly correlated counterion distribution (at low coupling) to a two-dimensional, strongly correlated counterion distribution (at high coupling), which is paralleled by the specific-heat capacity which displays a rounded hump at intermediate coupling strengths. For the case of counterions confined between two equally charged walls, we analyze the inter-wall pressure and establish the complete phase diagram, featuring attraction between the walls for large enough coupling strength and at intermediate wall separation. Depending on the thermodynamic ensemble, the phase diagram exhibits a discontinuous transition where the inter-wall distance jumps to infinity (in the absence of a chemical potential coupling to the inter-wall distance, as for charged lamellae in excess solvent) or a critical point where two coexisting states with different inter-wall distance become indistinguishable (in the presence of a chemical potential, as for charged lamellae with a finite fixed solvent fraction). The attractive pressure decays with the inter-wall distance as an inverse cube, similar to analytic predictions, although the amplitude differs by an order of magnitude from previous theoretical results. Finally, we discuss in detail our simulation methods and compare the finite-size scaling behavior of different boundary conditions (periodic, minimal image and open). Received 6 November 2001     

Effects of counterion fluctuations in a polyelectrolyte brush

We investigate the effect of counterion fluctuations in a single polyelectrolyte brush in the absence of added salt by systematically expanding the counterion free energy about Poisson-Boltzmann mean-field theory. We find that for strongly charged brushes, there is a collapse regime in which the brush height decreases with increasing charge on the polyelectrolyte chains. The transition to this collapsed regime is similar to the liquid-gas transition, which has a first-order line terminating at a critical point. We find that, for monovalent counterions, the transition is discontinuous in theta solvent, while for multivalent counterions, the transition is generally continuous. For collapsed brushes, the brush height is not independent of grafting density as it is for osmotic brushes, but scales linear with it.Received: 26 November 2003, Published online: 11 May 2004PACS: 61.25.Hq Macromolecular and polymer solutions; polymer melts; swelling - 61.20.Qg Structure of associated liquids: electrolytes, molten salts, etc.     

Screened electrostatics of charged particles on a water droplet

We study the electrostatic properties of charged particles trapped at an interface in a water-in-oil microemulsion. The electrostatic potential and the counterion distribution in the water droplet are given in terms of the ratio of the Debye screening length κ^-1 and the droplet radius R. In the limit R→∞ we recover the well-known results for a flat interface. Finite-size corrections are obtained in terms of the small parameter 1/κR. Part of the counterions spread along the interface and form a charged layer of one Debye length thickness. In particular, there is a uniform surface charge contribution. We derive explicit expressions for the electric field, the mobile charge density, and the charge-induced pressure on the interface.     

Disappearance of the gas-liquid phase transition for highly charged colloids

We calculate the full phase diagram of spherical charged colloidal particles using Monte Carlo free energy calculations. The system is described using the primitive model, consisting of explicit hard-sphere colloids and point counterions in a uniform dielectric continuum. We show that the gas-liquid critical point becomes metastable with respect to a gas-solid phase separation at colloid charges Q > or =20 times the counterion charge. Approximate free energy calculations with only one and four particles in the fluid and solid phases, respectively, are used to determine the critical line for highly charged colloids up to Q=2000. We propose the scaling law T*(c) approximately Q(1/2) for this critical temperature.     

Solution calorimetry of organic nonelectrolytes as a tool for investigation of intermolecular interactions

The paper is mainly the review and generalization of the previous publications of the authors. It demonstrates that solution calorimetry method gives the opportunities of more detailed understanding of various aspects of intermolecular interactions in solution. We are assured that prerequisite to such an understanding is the successive analysis of various solute–solvent systems from the simplest ones which include alkanes as a solute or as a solvent to the most complex systems with solvent self‐association via hydrogen bonding. Particular findings discussed in this paper are (i) an inconspicuous contribution of electrostatic solute–solvent interaction to the solvation enthalpy and, accordingly, the dominating contribution of dispersion interactions for nonspecifically solvated solutes; (ii) new, very general method for the extraction of specific interaction enthalpy from the enthalpy of solvation; (iii) new method of determination of self‐association enthalpies for the solvents associated via hydrogen bonding; (iv) new method for determination of cooperative hydrogen bonding enthalpies of proton acceptors with associated species of alcohols; (v) the unique method of experimental determination of the hydrophobic effect enthalpy. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrostatic energy of aromatic ion radical crystals

The electrostatic energy of aromatic charge-transfer (CT) and free radical (FR) crystals is obtained by using the many-electron site representation and the modified Hubbard model previously developed to correlate the unusual magnetic, electric and optical properties of CT and FR crystals. Both π-electron overlap between adjacent ion radicals in a stack and configuration interaction with CT states are included, thus improving on the Madelung approximation of disjoint charge distributions. π-electron overlap leads to a Coulomb exchange energy E _ex which stabilizes both ionic CT and FR crystals, while configuration interaction scales the ground state charge densities, and thus the Madelung energy, in CT crystals. E _ex is obtained for 1 : 1 CT crystals and a numerical estimate of 10–15 kcal/mole is found for both TMPD-TCNQ and for TMPD-chloranil.     

Phenomenology of two-dimensional stably stratified turbulence under large-scale forcing

In this paper, we characterise the scaling of energy spectra, and the interscale transfer of energy and enstrophy, for strongly, moderately and weakly stably stratified two-dimensional (2D) turbulence, restricted in a vertical plane, under large-scale random forcing. In the strongly stratified case, a large-scale vertically sheared horizontal flow (VSHF) coexists with small scale turbulence. The VSHF consists of internal gravity waves and the turbulent flow has a kinetic energy (KE) spectrum that follows an approximate k^?3 scaling with zero KE flux and a robust positive enstrophy flux. The spectrum of the turbulent potential energy (PE) also approximately follows a k^?3 power-law and its flux is directed to small scales. For moderate stratification, there is no VSHF and the KE of the turbulent flow exhibits Bolgiano–Obukhov scaling that transitions from a shallow k^?11/5 form at large scales, to a steeper approximate k^?3 scaling at small scales. The entire range of scales shows a strong forward enstrophy flux, and interestingly, large (small) scales show an inverse (forward) KE flux. The PE flux in this regime is directed to small scales, and the PE spectrum is characterised by an approximate k^?1.64 scaling. Finally, for weak stratification, KE is transferred upscale and its spectrum closely follows a k^?2.5 scaling, while PE exhibits a forward transfer and its spectrum shows an approximate k^?1.6 power-law. For all stratification strengths, the total energy always flows from large to small scales and almost all the spectral indicies are well explained by accounting for the scale-dependent nature of the corresponding flux.     

Connecting Blackbody Radiation,Relativity, and Discrete Charge in Classical Electrodynamics

It is suggested that an understanding of blackbody radiation within classical physics requires the presence of classical electromagnetic zero-point radiation, the restriction to relativistic (Coulomb) scattering systems, and the use of discrete charge. The contrasting scaling properties of nonrelativistic classical mechanics and classical electrodynamics are noted, and it is emphasized that the solutions of classical electrodynamics found in nature involve constants which connect together the scales of length, time, and energy. Indeed, there are analogies between the electrostatic forces for groups of particles of discrete charge and the van der Waals forces in equilibrium thermal radiation. The differing Lorentz- or Galilean-transformation properties of the zero-point radiation spectrum and the Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum are noted in connection with their scaling properties. Also, the thermal effects of acceleration within classical electromagnetism are related to the existence of thermal equilibrium within a gravitational field. The unique scaling and phase-space properties of a discrete charge in the Coulomb potential suggest the possibility of an equilibrium between the zero-point radiation spectrum and matter which is universal (independent of the particle mass), and an equilibrium between a universal thermal radiation spectrum and matter where the matter phase space depends only upon the ratio mc ²/k _B T. The observations and qualitative suggestions made here run counter to the ideas of currently accepted quantum physics.     

Stretching necklaces

Polyelectrolytes in poor solvents show a necklace structure where collapsed polymer pearls are linked to stretched strings. In the present paper the elasticity of such chains is studied in detail. Different deformation regimes are addressed. The first is the continuous regime, where many pearls are present. A continuous force extension relationship is calculated. The main contribution comes from the tension balance and the electrostatic repulsion of consecutive pearls. The main correction term stems from the finite size of the pearls, which monitors their surface energy. For a finite amount of pearls discontinuous stretching is predicted. Finally counterion effects are discussed qualitatively. Received 6 December 1999     

带电聚合电介质表面吸附理论研究

摘要：应用聚合电介质吸附的定标理论,根据介质和表面电介质常数的比率,考虑多化合价吸附电介质之间强相关性作用,我们提出一种表面排斥电荷的近似定标理论方法,根据这种方法把电介质表面吸附层的相图分为本质上不同的两大类。从相图可知：当表面电荷密度低（或体带相反电荷离子密度高）,这时表面和体带相反电荷离子密度几乎相同;一旦表面电荷密度足够高,就使带相反电荷的离子在表面上浓缩。据此,可确定在这个区域内,低化合价聚合电介质形成一个相关的多链状态,当化合价足够高时,由于近邻链之间的更强排斥增强,使状态转变成单链。     

Arrays of Charged (±2π)-Twist Disclinations in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

The notion of an electrostatic charge of (±2)-twist disclinations is used to approximate the evaluation of the electrostatic interaction energy among disclinations forming arrays in finite samples of ferroelectric chiral smectic C liquid crystals. Screening effects of free charges in a material surrounding the disclination are taken into account by introducing a phenomenological depolarisation factor.The electrostatic interaction energy is important in chiral smectic C materials with high values of the spontaneous polarisation when screening effects of free charges are small. Then the electrostatic interaction leads to elimination of disclinations from the sample. When there is a high concentration of free charges in the sample (smaller value of depolarisation factor), the electrostatic interaction energy is of the order of the elastic interaction energy of disclinations what influences the equilibrium of disclination arrays in the sample. Two disclination configurations are considered. In the Brunet-Williams configuration the disclinations of opposite topological charge have also the opposite electrostatic charge so their attraction is augmented. This attraction can be balanced by the helical structure in the central part of the sample when the sample thickness is rather high.On the contrary, in the Glogarová-Pavel configuration the disclinations of opposite topological charge have the electrostatic charge of the same sign. The equilibrium in this configuration is either a balance of elastic attraction and electrostatic repulsion if elastic and Coulomb forces are of the same order or it is governed by the value of the anchoring energy when electrostatic interaction prevails over the elastic one.     

带电聚合电介质表面吸附理论研究

应用聚合电介质吸附的定标理论,根据介质和表面电介质常数的比率,考虑多化合价吸附电介质之间强相关性作用,我们提出一种表面排斥电荷的近似定标理论方法,根据这种方法把电介质表面吸附层的相图分为本质上不同的两大类。从相图可知：当表面电荷密度低（或体带相反电荷离子密度高）,这时表面和体带相反电荷离子密度几乎相同;一旦表面电荷密度足够高,就使带相反电荷的离子在表面上浓缩。据此,可确定在这个区域内,低化合价聚合电介质形成一个相关的多链状态,当化合价足够高时,由于近邻链之间的更强排斥增强,使状态转变成单链。