Dipole-driven Self-assembly and Dynamics in Solutions of Charged Macromolecules
By
M. Muthukumar
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003 USA
Abstract
Control of self-assembled structures of charged macromolecules in aqueous
solutions is vital in myriads of natural phenomena. However, a fundamental
understanding of the various phenomena exhibited by charged macromolecules is
one of the grand challenges in the domains of living matter, biomimicry, and
healthcare. The origin of this challenge lies in the simultaneous occurrence of
three long-range forces from electrostatics, topology of polymer connectivity, and
hydrodynamics. As a result, charged macromolecules exhibit extraordinary
behavior unseen in uncharged molecules. Several of these phenomena can be
attributed to the dominance of dipole-dipole interaction over monopole-
monopole interaction. We will present basic concepts and address structure,
dynamics, and transport in a few systems that include biomolecular condensates,
polyzwitterions, and intrinsically disordered proteins.