No abstract

We show experimentally that Manning counterion condensation also leads to a renormalization of the charge density at high concentrations of highly charged, flexible, hydrophilic polyelectrolytes. Investigations by small angle neutron and X-ray scattering of semi-dilute solutions of poly(acrylamideco-sodium-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate) at different charge densities above the condensation threshold, show that the scattering function is invariant with the charge density.PACS. 61.25.Hq Macromolecular and polymer solutions; polymer melts; swelling -61.10.Eq X-ray scattering (including small-angle scattering) -61.12.Ex Neutron scattering techniques (including small-angle scattering)