Application of the Born Model to Describe Salt Partitioning in Hydrated Polymers

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Physical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• The classic Born model has limitations in predicting salt partitioning in hydrated polymers, leading to quantitative discrepancies with experimental data.
• Understanding salt partitioning is crucial for applications involving hydrated polymers in environmental and biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refine the Born model for improved prediction of salt partitioning in hydrated polymers.
• To investigate the influence of polymer structure (mesh size, water content) and salt concentration on salt partitioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an updated Born model incorporating local environment and mesh size considerations.
• Applied the model to analyze previously published partitioning data for NaCl, KCl, and LiCl in cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate polymers.

Main Results:

• The reformulated Born model significantly improves the prediction of salt partitioning compared to the classic model.
• The model effectively describes the impact of polymer structure and external salt concentration on partitioning.
• NaCl partitioning was most accurately described by the updated model.

Conclusions:

• The updated Born model provides a more fundamental understanding of salt partitioning processes in hydrated polymers.
• This enhanced model has implications for designing and utilizing hydrated polymers in diverse applications.