Critical behavior of charge-regulated macro-ions

Abstract

Based on a collective description of electrolytes composed of charge-regulated macro-ions and simple salt ions, we analyze their equilibrium charge state in the bulk and their behavior in the vicinity of an external electrified surface. The mean-field formulation of mobile macro-ions in an electrolyte bathing solution is extended to include interactions between association and dissociation sites. We demonstrate that above a critical concentration of salt, similar to the critical micelle concentration, a non-trivial distribution of charge states sets in. Such a charge state can eventually lead to a liquid-liquid phase separation based on charge regulation.