Electrical conductivity of polyelectrolyte solutions in the presence of added salt: The role of the solvent quality factor in light of a scaling approach

The effects of added salt on the electrical conductivity behavior of a polyelectrolyte solution are described in light of the scaling approach recently proposed by Dobrynin and Rubinstein [Macromolecules 28, 1859 (1995); 32, 915 (1999)], taking into account the influence of the solvent quality factor. The coupling between the conformation of the chain and the local charge distribution, giving rise to different conductometric behaviors, has been investigated under different conditions, in a wide concentration range of added salt. The polyion equivalent conductances lambda(p) have been evaluated in different concentration regimes for a hydrophilic polyion in good solvent condition and compared with the experimental values obtained from electrical conductivity measurements. The agreement is rather good in the wide range of concentration of the added salt investigated. In the case of poor solvent conditions, we find the appropriate expressions for the electrical conductivity when the polyion chain consists into collapsed beads alternating with stretched segments in the framework of the necklace globule model.