Abstract
The coacervation process of elastomeric protein α-elastin in aqueous solutions was investigated as a function of temperature by using dynamic light scattering. Two kinds of dynamical behaviors were found, which were dependent on both the concentration and the scattering vector. Near the critical point, the diffusion coefficient, deduced from the relaxation time, showed a remarkable decrease. When far from the critical concentration, on the contrary, the diffusion coefficient showed a gradual increase on raising the temperature, followed by a rapid increase near the temperature at which the sample started to be turbid. The results agree with recent findings on the role of the critical fluctuations on the condensation of biostructural polymers leading to the supramolecular ordering.
