A variational approach to necklaces formation in polyelectrolytes

TL;DR

This paper uses a variational method to analyze the transition of polyelectrolytes from rod-like to necklace structures in bad solvents, providing insights into their conformational behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a variational approach to predict the conditions for necklace formation in polyelectrolytes, advancing understanding of their structural transitions.

Findings

Identifies the conditions favoring necklace formation

Describes the transition from rod-like to globular structures

Provides a theoretical framework for polyelectrolyte conformations

Abstract

By means of a variational approach we study the conditions under which a polyelectrolyte in a bad solvent will undergo a transition from a rod-like structure to a ``necklace'' structure in which the chain collapses into a series of globules joined by stretched chain segments.