Electrophoresis of charge inverted macroion complex: Molecular dynamics study

  • 5 October 2001
Abstract
The net charge and mobility of a macroion complex under an external electric field in the presence of multivalent salt are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Hydrodynamic interactions are treated with the explicit use of neutral-particle solvent. In a weak electric field, a complex of the macroion drifts with condensed counterions and coions along the electric field, in the direction proving the inversion of the charge sign. A very large electric field, which is comparable to the macroion unscreened field, disrupts charge inversion stripping the adsorbed counterions off the macroion.