HYPERNETTED CHAIN APPROXIMATION FOR ION DISTRIBUTION IN REVERSE MICELLES

The hypernetted chain (HNC) integral equation and Monte Carlo simulations are applied to study spatial correlations among the ions confined in the aqueous core of inverted micelles in a microemulsion. The calculated ion density profiles are compared with the predictions of the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation and with the results of the anisotropic HNC approximation (AHNC). In the presence of simple electrolytes, the results of the isotropic HNC equation are in good agreement with the simulation, while only the AHNC approximation proves satisfactory in salt-free systems and in solutions with divalent counterions. © 1990.