ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the sedimentation processes where the particles of interest exhibit interactions that can reversibly change their assembly or conformational state. This includes solutions with a single macromolecular component exhibiting self-association reactions, where homo-oligomers are formed that can dynamically dissociate back into subunits. Similarly, this includes systems with chemical binding reactions between different macromolecular components that lead to the formation of hetero-oligomers, which, in turn, can spontaneously break apart into their components. The balance of sedimentation and diffusion fluxes in the radial geometry of centrifugation leads to the Lamm equation. The sedimentation profiles can be studied with the tools developed for non-interacting mixtures. In some systems there is no endpoint of the self-association, because the formation of an oligomer of size n always allows further addition of monomer to form a species of size n + 1. The chapter outlines the theoretical basis for modeling reaction-diffusion-sedimentation processes.
