Charge symmetry breaking in neutral polyzwitterions.

ABSTRACT: Response of polar and neutral monomers in macromolecules to an electric field in their crowded aqueous solutions remains as an unchartered area of research, in contrast with well understood behavior of ionized groups. Wondering whether such monomers impart merely frictional resistance or cooperate with the other ionic groups in their electrophoretic mobility, we investigate single-molecule electrophoresis of a couple of neutral polyzwitterions which have charge-neutrality with strong acidic group and permanent positive charge within their repeat units. Combining experiments and theory, we study the roles of dipole orientation of zwiterionic monomers and salt identity. Here, we report that charge-neutral polyzwitterions exhibit mobility with rectification in their direction of movement beca

SUBMITTER: Lee Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11994810 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature