Limiting Laws and Counterion Condensation in Polyelectrolyte Solutions. III. An Analysis Based on the Mayer Ionic Solution Theory

The interaction with point ions of a line charge supplemented by a distance of closest approach is studied by means of the Mayer theory of ionic solutions. A number of points involved in a recent theory of polyelectrolyte solutions (Papers I and II of this series) are thereby clarified. It is demonstrated that the counterion condensation phenomenon occurs in the limit of zero concentration, that the Debye–Hückel approximation is applicable to the coions and uncondensed counterions, and that the relevant dielectric constant is that of the pure bulk solvent.