Electrostatic interactions between charge regulated spherical macroions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how charge regulation and dielectric properties of spherical macroions influence electrostatic interactions in electrolyte solutions, revealing symmetry-breaking and like-charge attraction phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a model combining charge regulation with Poisson-Boltzmann theory to show symmetry breaking and like-charge attraction in macroion interactions.

Findings

Charge regulation leads to asymmetric charge distributions.

Symmetry breaking causes like-charge attraction.

Electrostatic interactions are significantly altered by charge regulation.

Abstract

We study the interaction between two charge regulating spherical macroions with dielectric interior and dissociable surface groups immersed in a monovalent electrolyte solution. The charge dissociation is modelled via the Frumkin-Fowler-Guggenheim isotherm, which allows for multiple adsorption equilibrium states. The interactions are derived from the solutions of the mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann type theory with charge regulation boundary conditions. For a range of conditions we find symmetry breaking transitions from symmetric to asymmetric charge distribution exhibiting annealed charge patchiness, which results in like-charge attraction even in a univalent electrolyte -- thus fundamentally modifying the nature of electrostatic interactions in charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions.