Osmotic flow caused by polyelectrolytes.

Osmotic flow of water caused by high concentrations of anionic polyelectrolytes across semipermeable membranes, permeable only to solvent and simple electrolyte, has been measured in a newly designed flow cell. The flow cell features small solution and solvent compartments and an efficient stirring mechanism. We have demonstrated that, while the osmotic pressure of the anionic polyelectrolytes is determined primarily by micro-counterions, the osmotic flow is determined by solution-dependent properties as embodied in the hydrodynamic frictional coefficient which is determined by the polymer backbone segment of the polyelectrolyte. The variation of the osmotic permeability coefficient, L(p)(o), with concentration and osmotic pressure closely correlated with the concentration dependence of this frictional coefficient. These studies confirm previous work that the kinetics of osmotic flow across a membrane impermeable to the osmotically active solute is primarily determined by the diffusive mobility of the solute.