PARTIAL STRUCTURE FACTORS OF POLYELECTROL YTES

The partial structure factors polyion-polyion and polyion-counterion a re calculated using a generalization of Benoit's equation to aqueous p olyelectrolyte solutions. The theoretical results are used in the inte rpretation of the neutron scattering data obtained on solutions of deu terated poly(styrenesulfonic acid) and tetramethylammonium. The compar aison of theoretical and experimental results show a good agreement in the whole range of the wave vectors q covered in the experiments for two different concentrations of polystyrene. Contrary to the cylindric al lattice model of van der Maarel et al., our model predicts the scat tering peak observed at a finite value of the wave vector q(m).