Debye-Hiickel/Boltzmann model, solution

Together these essentially replace the Poisson-Boltzmann cell model with the Debye-Hiickel bulk model, allowing many more systems to be treated analytically, although not necessarily accurately, and providing considerable insight into the physical characteristics of electrolyte solutions. 

A more detailed view of the dynamies of a ehromatin chain was achieved in a recent Brownian dynamics simulation by Beard and Schlick [65]. Like in previous work, the DNA is treated as a segmented elastic chain however, the nueleosomes are modeled as flat cylinders with the DNA attached to the cylinder surface at the positions known from the crystallographic structure of the nucleosome. Moreover, the electrostatic interactions are treated in a very detailed manner the charge distribution on the nucleosome core particle is obtained from a solution to the non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation in the surrounding solvent, and the total electrostatic energy is computed through the Debye-Hiickel approximation over all charges on the nucleosome and the linker DNA. 

The above equation is known as the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation since the assumption of low potentials made in reaching this result from Equation (29) has allowed us make the right-hand side of the equation linear in p. This assumption is also made in the Debye-Hiickel theory and prompts us to call this model the Debye-Hiickel approximation. Equation (33) has an explicit solution. Since potential is the quantity of special interest in Equation (33), let us evaluate the potential at 25°C for a monovalent ion that satisfies the condition e p = kBT ... 

A new theory of electrolyte solutions is described. This theory is based on a Debye-Hiickel model and modified to allow for the mutual polarization of ions. From a general solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation, an expression is derived for the activity coefficient of a central polarized ion in an ionic atmosphere of non-spherical symmetry that reduces to the Debye-Hiickel limiting laws at infinite dilution. A method for the simultaneous charging of an ion and its ionic cloud is developed to allow for ionic polarization. Comparison of the calculated activity coefficients with experimental values shows that the characteristic shapes of the log y vs. concentration curves are well represented by the theory up to moderately high concentrations. Some consequences in relation to the structure of electrolyte solutions are discussed. 

The electrostatic methods just discussed suitable for nonelectrolytic solvent. However, both the GB and Poisson approaches may be extended to salt solutions, the former by introducing a Debye-Huckel parameter and the latter by generalizing the Poisson equation to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The Debye-Huckel modification of the GB model is valid to much higher salt concentrations than the original Debye-Hiickel theory because the model includes the finite size of the solute molecules. 

Since ionic association is an electrostatic effect for equilibrium properties of electrolyte solutions, it may be included in the Debye-Hiickel type of treatment by explicitly retaining further terms in the expansion of the Poisson-Boltzmann relation eqn. 5.2.8. - A similar calculation was attempted for conductance by Fuoss and Onsager. The mathematical approach and the model employed are similar to those used in their previous calculation, but they keep explicitly the exp (—0 y) term in the new calculation. The equation derived for A is... 

The Poisson-Boltzmann and Debye-Hiickel models are relatively successful predictors of the shielding of charged objects by dissociated salt ions. But these models are approximate, and they have limitations. The Debye-Hiickel model shows that when salts dissociate into ions, the ions are not distributed uniformly, but are clumpy. There is an enhanced concentration of negative ions around each mobile positive ion, and vice versa. The main nonideality of salt solutions is attributed to this dumpiness. 

Poisson-Boltzmann equation — The Poisson-Boltz-mann equation is a nonlinear, elliptic, second-order, partial differential equation which plays a central role, e.g., in the Gouy-Chapman ( Gouy, Chapman) electrical double layer model and in the Debye-Hiickel theory of electrolyte solutions. It is derived from the classical Poisson equation for the electrostatic potential... 

Later, in a model where each cylindrical polymer rod was confined to a concentric, cylindrical, electroneutral shell whose volume represents the mean volume available to the macromolecule, the concept was extended to the macroscopic system itself which was considered as an assembly of electroneutral shells at whose periphery the gradient of potential goes to zero and the potential itself has a constant value. Closed analytical expressions which represent exact solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation can be given for the infinite cylinder model. These solutions, moreover, were seen to describe the essence of the problem. The potential field close in to the chain was found to be the determining factor and under most practical circumstances a sizable fraction of the counter-ions was trapped and held closely paired to the chain, in the Bjerrum sense, by the potential. The counter-ions thus behave as though distributed between two phases, a condensed phase near in and a free phase further out. The fraction which is free behaves as though subject to the Debye-Hiickel potential in the ordinary way, the fraction condensed as though bound . 

If this rod is located in an infinite volume of a simple electrolyte solution, the distribution of counter-ions may be calculated from the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with proper boundary conditions. To solve the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, the so-called Debye-Hiickel approximation e l//kT< l can be safely assumed for the porous sphere model but cannot generally be assumed for rod-like model. When the assumption is employed, we have [5]... 

---