Structure of polyelectrolyte solutions at a charged surface

The structure of polyelectrolyte solutions at a charged surface is studied using density functional theory and Monte Carlo simulations. The polymer molecules are modeled as freely jointed chains of charged hard spheres, the counterions and co-ions as charged hard spheres, and the surface is a planar, impenetrable hard wall with a uniform surface charge density. The density functional theory treats the ideal gas contribution exactly, uses a weighted density approximation for the hard sphere contribution, and a generalized van der Waals approximation for the electrostatic contribution. At a fixed surface charge density, with increasing concentration of the polyion, the simulations show layering as well as charge inversion phenomena resulting from an interplay between excluded volume and electrostatic interactions. The integrated surface excess is a monotonically decreasing function of polymer concentration at high surface charge densities, but a nonmonotonic function of polymer concentration at lower surface charge densities. The density functional theory is in qualitative agreement with simulations for the density profiles but fails to capture the layering and charge inversion effects. This suggests that liquid-state correlations and coupling between electrostatic and excluded volume effects are important factors in the adsorption of charged polymers at surfaces.