| Abstract
| - We analyze the phase behavior of polyelectrolyte salt-free solutions using the random phaseapproximation (RPA). Within this approximation, the phase diagrams of salt-free polyelectrolyte solutionsshow phase separation even without including short-range attractions or ion condensation. We find thatthe phase behavior of large chains resembles the phase diagram of polymer network solutions. That is,the equilibrium is established between a swollen network phase and a chain-free phase. Even thoughRPA is capable of reproducing certain aspects of the phase diagram, the model has to be modified toinclude ion condensation self-consistently in the analysis.
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