Poisson-Boltzmann solution equation

Marmur [12] has presented a guide to the appropriate choice of approximate solution to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation (Eq. V-5) for planar surfaces in an asymmetrical electrolyte. The solution to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation around a spherical charged particle is very important to colloid science. Explicit solutions cannot be obtained but there are extensive tabulations, known as the LOW tables [13]. For small values of o, an approximate equation is [9, 14]... 

Fig. 1. Explanation of the principles of the finite-difference method for solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation...

Tanford, C., Kirkwood, J. G. Theory of protein titration curves. I. General equations for impenetrable spheres. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 79 (1957) 5333-5339. 6. Garrett, A. J. M., Poladian, L. Refined derivation, exact solutions, and singular limits of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. Ann. Phys. 188 (1988) 386-435. Sharp, K. A., Honig, B. Electrostatic interactions in macromolecules. Theory and applications. Ann. Rev. Biophys. Chem. 19 (1990) 301-332. 

Another way of calculating the electrostatic component of solvation uses the Poisson-Boltzmann equations [22, 23]. This formalism, which is also frequently applied to biological macromolecules, treats the solvent as a high-dielectric continuum, whereas the solute is considered as an array of point charges in a constant, low-dielectric medium. Changes of the potential within a medium with the dielectric constant e can be related to the charge density p according to the Poisson equation (Eq. (41)). 

If there are ions in the solution, they will try to change their location according to the electrostatic potential in the system. Their distribution can be described according to Boltzmarm. Including these effects and applying some mathematics leads to the final linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation (Eq. (43)). 

This theory of the diffuse layer is satisfactory up to a symmetrical electrolyte concentration of 0.1 mol dm-3, as the Poisson-Boltzmann equation is valid only for dilute solutions. Similarly to the theory of strong electrolytes, the Gouy-Chapman theory of the diffuse layer is more readily applicable to symmetrical rather than unsymmetrical electrolytes. 

Holst, M.J. Baker, N.A. Wang, F., Adaptive multilevel finite element solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation I algorithms and examples, J. Comp. Chem. 2000, 21, 1319-1342... 

Two remaining problems relating to the treatment of solvation include the slowness of Poisson-Boltzmann calculations, when these are used to treat electrostatic effects, and the difficulty of keeping buried, explicit solvent in equilibrium with the external solvent when, e.g., there are changes in nearby solute groups in an alchemical simulation. Faster methods for solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation by means of parallel finite element techniques are becoming available, however.22 24... 

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 parameter67 and the latter by generalizing the Poisson equation to the Poisson-Boltzmann equation.68 The Debye-Huckel modification of the GB model is valid to much higher salt concentrations than the original Debye-Huckel theory because the model includes the finite size of the solute molecules. 

Interactions between cationic micelles and uni- and divalent anions have been treated quantitatively by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation in spherical symmetry and considering both Coulombic and specific attractive forces. Predicted rate-surfactant profiles are similar to those based on the ion-exchange and mass-action models (Section 3), but fit the data better for reactions in solutions containing divalent anions (Bunton, C. A. and Moffatt, J. R. (1985) J. Phys. Chem. 1985, 89, 4166 1986,90, 538). 

Derive and solve the appropriate linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the interface between two immiscible solutions. 

Beyond the IHP is a layer of charge bound at the surface by electrostatic forces only. This layer is known as the diffuse layer, or the Gouy-Chapman layer. The innermost plane of the diffuse layer is known as the outer Helmholtz plane (OHP). The relationship between the charge in the diffuse layer, o2, the electrolyte concentration in the bulk of solution, c, and potential at the OHP, 2> can be found from solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with appropriate boundary conditions (for 1 1 electrolytes (13))... 

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. 

For our work, expressions of Ohshlma et. al. (37) obtained from an approximate form of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation were used. These analytical expressions agree with the exact solution for xRp 2. (All of our calculations meet this criterion.) The relation between the surface potential and the surface charge density Is (37)... 

The Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The slab model is based on a solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation that is valid only for low electrostatic surface potentials. As... 

The geometry. It is clear that the geometry of the system is much simplified in the slab model. Another possibility is to model the protein as a sphere and the stationary phase as a planar surface. For such systems, numerical solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equations are required [33]. However, by using the Equation 15.67 in combination with a Derjaguin approximation, it is possible to find an approximate expression for the interaction energy at the point where it has a minimum. The following expression is obtained [31] ... 

The electrostatic force (F ) between two charged plates separated by an electrolyte solution can be determined from an existing imphcit solution to the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation and can be expressed in the form [187]... 

Gouy and Chapman (1910-13) independently used the Poisson-Boltzmann equations to describe the diffnse electrical double-layer formed at the interface between a charged snrface and an aqueous solution. 

The solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with. the application to thermal explosions) 5) D.A. Frank-Kamenetskii, "Diffusion and Heat Exchange in Chemical Kinetics, pp 202-66, Princeton Uni v-Press, Princeton, NJ (1955) (Quoted from MaSek s paper) 6) L.N. Khitrin, "Fizika Goreniya i Yzryva (Physics of Combustion and Explosion), IzdMGU, Moscow (1957)... 

These differences between intrinsic and doped, or impurity, semiconductors complicate the mathematics of the solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, but the picture that emerges remains basically the same A charged cloud, or space charge, and therefore a potential drop, develops inside the semiconductor the space charge contributes to the capacity of the interphase, etc. 

The purpose of the present chapter is to introduce some of the basic concepts essential for understanding electrostatic and electrical double-layer pheneomena that are important in problems such as the protein/ion-exchange surface pictured above. The scope of the chapter is of course considerably limited, and we restrict it to concepts such as the nature of surface charges in simple systems, the structure of the resulting electrical double layer, the derivation of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for electrostatic potential distribution in the double layer and some of its approximate solutions, and the electrostatic interaction forces for simple geometric situations. Nonetheless, these concepts lay the foundation on which the edifice needed for more complicated problems is built. 

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 ... 

The solution of the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation around cylinders also requires numerical methods, although when cylindrical symmetry and the Debye-Hiickel approximation are assumed the equation can be solved. The solution, however, requires advanced mathematical techniques and we will not discuss it here. It is nevertheless useful to note the form of the solution. The potential for symmetrical electrolytes has been given by Dube (1943) and is written in terms of the charge density a as... 

We return to the solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a spherical particle, Equation (19), with B = 0 ... 

Recall that Aj are positive integration constants. For open systems Ai is equal to the known concentration of the charge carrier t, wherever

closed systems, in which only the total number of charge carriers may be known rather than their concentration somewhere, the Ai are subject to determination in the course of the solution. (The properties of the solutions for parallel open and closed system formulations may differ quite markedly, as was exemplified in [1].) Equation (2.1.2), the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, is a particular case of the nonlinear Poisson equations... 

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