POISSON-BOLTZMANN INTEGRAL-EQUATION FOR POLYELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS

An interaction-site model (ISM) theory, well developed for molecular liquids, is proposed for solutions of flexible polyelectrolytes. A Debye-Huckel limit is considered in details and new screening properties are deduced. Potentials of mean force are reexamined for these complex fluids resulting in a generalization of the well-known Poisson-Boltzmann approximation. A system of nonlinear integral equations is obtained, correctly including counterions condensation, which should therefore fit quantitatively the neutron scattering curves. Physical arguments are given.