Soft Condensed Matter commonly deals with materials that are mechanically soft and, more importantly, particularly prone to thermal fluctuation effects. Charged soft matter systems are especially interesting: they can be manufactured artificially as polyelectrolytes to serve as superabsorbers in dypers, as flocculation and retention agents, as thickeners and gelling agents, and as oil-recovery process aids. They are also abundant in living organisms, mostly performing important structural (e.g. membranes) and functional (e.g. DNA) tasks. The book describes the many areas in soft matter and biophysics where electrostatic interactions play an important role. It offers in-depth coverage of recent theoretical approaches, advances in computer simulation, and novel experimental techniques. Readership: Advanced undergraduate level in physics, physical chemistry, and theoretical biochemistry.

Inhalt

Preface. List of Participants. Structure and dynamic properties of membrane lipid and protein; M. Caffrey. Cell model and Poisson-Boltzmann theory: A brief introduction; M. Deserno, C. Holm. DNA Condensation and Complexation; W.M. Gelbart. Interactions in Colloidal Suspensions; D.G. Grier, S.H. Behrens. Computer Simulations of charged systems; C. Holm, K. Kremer. Scaling description of charged polymers; J.-F. Joanny. When Ion-Ion Correlations Are Important in Charged Colloidal Systems; B. Jönsson, H. Wennerström. Direct Surface Force Measurement Techniques; P. Kékicheff. Counterions in polyelectrolytes; A.R. Khokhlov, et al. Distribution function theory of electrolytes and electrical double layers; R. Kjellander. Field-Theoretic Approaches to Classical Charged Systems; A.G. Moreira, R.R. Netz. Interactions and conformational fluctuations in macromolecular arrays; R. Podgornik. Structure and phasebehavior of cationic-lipid DNA complexes; J.O. Rädler. Small angle scattering methods applied to polyelectrolyte solutions; M. Rawiso. Lateral correlation of multivalent counterions is the universal mechanism of charge inversion; T.T. Nguyen, et al. Highly Charged Polyelectrolytes: experimental aspects; C.E. Williams. Index.