Equilibrium charge distribution on weak polyelectrolytes

Density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulations have been used to study the non-uniform equilibrium charge distribution on weak polyelectrolytes. For rigid rods, linearized density functional theory and simulation data show good agreement in a fairly wide parameter range. In the central part of the rod there appears a slight depletion of charge which is accumulated at the ends within a range of the order of the Debye length. For flexible chains, the simulations show an enhancement of the non-uniformity of the charge distribution. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.