Cohesive energy, stability and structural transitions in polyelectrolyte bundles

TL;DR

This paper investigates the structural phase transitions and stability of polyelectrolyte bundles, revealing how counterion arrangements and rod spacing influence their cohesive energy and structural behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a model of charged rod lattices with counterions showing novel shearing phase transformations as spacing varies.

Findings

Counterion lattice undergoes structural shearing transitions

Structural transitions depend on inter-rod spacing

Implications for biological polyelectrolyte packaging

Abstract

A lattice of uniformly charged, infinitesimally thin, rods decorated with an ordered array of counterions exhibits anomalous behavior as the spacing between the rods is varied. In particular, the counterion lattice undergoes a sequence of structural shearing, or "tilting," phase transformations as the spacing between the rods decreases. The potential implications of this behavior with respect to the packaging of biologically relevant polyelectrolytic molecules are commented upon.