Polyelectrolyte Adsorption in Shear Flow with Hydrodynamic Interaction: Kinetic Theory and Brownian Dynamics Simulations

The effect of hydrodynamic interaction on the adsorption of a polyelectrolyte molecule onto a wall in shear flow is investigated using kinetic theory and Brownian dynamics simulations. The results of the Brownian dynamics simulations are consistent with the kinetic theory, and are used with the kinetic theory to develop a criterion for the critical shear rate needed to desorb an adsorbed polyelectrolyte molecule. The simulations are also used to explore the effects of non‐electrostatic interactions, and yield results in qualitative agreement with experimental observations. The results of this work are expected to be of interest for applications related to microfluidics, materials science, and biophysics.