Solvent molecules, polyelectrolyte dynamics

Usually, the mesoscopic, kinetic models are considered to be well suited for predicting dynamic properties of polymer solutions on macroscopic scales. Details of the fast solvent dynamics are in most cases irrelevant for macroscopic properties. Exceptions are polyelectrolytes, where the motion of counterions in the solvent can have a major influence on polymer conformation. Therefore, more microscopic models of polyelectrolytes with explicit counterions are sometimes employed [34] (see also the contribution by M. Muthukumar in this volume). Another exception is the dynamics of individual biopolymers, for example, protein folding, which is modeled with an all atomistic model including an explicit treatment of the (water) solvent molecules [35]. 

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