DYNAMICS OF CONCENTRATED WEAKLY CHARGED POLYELECTROLYTE SOLUTIONS

The static and dynamic structure factors of weakly charged polyelectro lytes in concentrated solutions are derived in the random phase approx imation. The effects of polymer stiffness, excluded volume, charge fra ction, and salt concentration are obtained and compared with the small angle neutron scattering experiments on poly(acrylic acid) gels. An a ccurate description of the short range interactions in the unperturbed polymer chain together with consideration of a moderate excluded volu me effect is required to approximate the complicated experimental beha vior.