Ionization and conformation consistency in weak polyelectrolyte solutions*

The charge-regulated behavior of weak polyelectrolytes due to the solution pH and local chemical environment is advantageous for applications in smart systems to achieve specific functions such as targeted drug develiery and controlled release. Unfortunately, a quantitative description of such behavior remains challenging due to the inherent coupling in the polymer's ionization and conformation resulting from the long-range intrachain correlations. In this poster, we present a framework to self-consistently treat the ionization and conformation of weak polyelectrolytes in the bulk solution as well as near an interface. In addition, we focus on the influence of solution conditions on the inter- and intrachain correlations.