Abstract
AbstractAnionic polyelectrolyte gels, synthetic or natural, undergo abrupt structural changes when the monovalent counterions in the gel, e.g., Na+, are replaced with divalent cations, e.g., Ca2+. These structural changes are caused by the preferential binding of Ca2+ to the polyelectrolyte chains and the ability of Ca2+ to form crosslinks between two neighboring chains. Strong lyotropic (Hofmeister) effects of anions, such as fluoride, phosphate, aspartate and chloride, on the repetitiveness of abrupt structural changes in the gel strands are demonstrated. These findings have important biological implications.
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