Effect of the surface charge distribution on the fluid phase behavior of charged colloids and proteins.

ABSTRACT: A generic but simple model is presented to evaluate the effect of the heterogeneous surface charge distribution of proteins and zwitterionic nanoparticles on their thermodynamic phase behavior. By considering surface charges as continuous "patches," the rich set of surface patterns that is embedded in proteins and charged patchy particles can readily be described. This model is used to study the fluid phase separation of charged particles where the screening length is of the same order of magnitude as the particle size. In particular, two types of charged particles are studied: dipolar fluids and protein-like fluids. The former represents the simplest case of zwitterionic particles, whose charge distribution can be described by their dipole moment. The latter system corresponds to molecule

SUBMITTER: Blanco MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5158025 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature