题目：Phase Behaviors of Polyelectrolyte Solutions

演讲人：Dr. Pengfei Zhang (张朋飞)，加州理工公司  化学与化学工程
时间：2018年6月8日（周五）10:00
地点：bevictor伟德A楼528演讲厅
邀请人：孙淮 教授，熊辉明 教授 

摘要：
Polyelectrolytes (PEs) are ubiquitous in biology and a myriad of industrial applications. Theoretical understandings on the structure and the phase behavior of PE solutions are of extreme importance to comprehend their functions in biology on one hand and to improve their applications in industry on the other hand. 

In this talk, I will discuss my recent research on the bulk phase behaviors of an asymmetric polycation and polyanion solution mixture by using a liquid state theory. 

In particular, I constructed a 2D curved binodal surface in a 3D concentration phase diagram, which contains the complete phase behavior information and can give very rich phase behaviors. 

Specifically, on the basis of this phase diagram, I predicted the phase behaviors of three experimentally relevant systems: 

1. Complex coacervation of a symmetric polycation and polyanion mixture, 

2. Titration behaviors of a polyacid with a polybase, 

3. Salting-out and salting-in of PE solutions. 

The theoretical calculations are qualitatively consistent with experimental observations.