Real-time monitoring of the origination of multimacroion domains in a polyelectrolyte solution

First real-time monitoring of the origination of multimacroion domains in an initially homogeneous polyelectrolyte solution was performed. Domains were generated by pH-induced increase of macroion charge in solution of poly(methacrylic acid). Monitoring was performed by static and dynamic light scatterings, in which scattering contributions from individual polyions and growing multimacroion domains were separated, such that amplitudes of both modes were expressed in absolute units. Kinetic results also yield new information regarding the nature of multimacroion domains.