Affiliation:
1. Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences 100190 Beijing China
2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 100049 Beijing China
Abstract
AbstractCompared to the charge–charge interaction, the role of the dipole‐dipole interaction has long been ignored in the phase behaviors of charged macromolecules in solutions. Charged macromolecules in solutions exhibit rich phase behaviors due to their complexity and they have been studied extensively. Phase separation can happen for charged macromolecules in the presence of monovalent salt, multivalent salt, and oppositely charged polymers, surfactants, etc., and for more advanced charged macromolecules such as polyzwitterions and polyampholytes, the phase diagram is even richer. In this perspective, the unacknowledged role of dipole‐dipole interaction in the phase behaviors of charged macromolecular solutions will be introduced. Dipolar polymers can form complex, self‐regulating structures which can be employed in various fields from drug‐delivery systems to next‐generation polymers. More importantly, it will shed light on how some of the life's basic and coherent structures such as biomolecular condensates and membrane‐less organelles are assembled and built by charged biomacromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Polymers and Plastics,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Condensed Matter Physics