Effects of salt on intermolecular polyelectrolyte complexes formation between cationic microgel and polyanion

• Complexation between cationic microgels and polyanions was investigated.
• The resulting complex depends on not only mixing ratio but also salt concentration.
• Hydrophobic interaction plays an important role in aggregation of complexes.

The study of interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) formation between cationic microgel and polyanion was presented. The size and molecular weight of cationic microgel are much larger than those of linear anionic polyelectrolyte. The resulting IPEC was divided by dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), and turbidity or spectrometry; (i) water-soluble intra-particle complexes consisting of one microgel to which linear polyelectrolytes bind; (ii) complex coacervates (inter-particle complexes composed of aggregated intra-particle complexes); and (iii) insoluble amorphous precipitates. These types depended on not only the mixing ratio of polyanion to cationic microgel but also salt concentration. This trend was discussed from IPEC's composition, thermodynamics of IPEC formation and the salt effect on intermolecular interactions which were expected in IPEC formation. The results obtained from the use of microgel in IPEC's study suggested that not only electrostatic interaction but also hydrophobic interaction play an important role in the aggregation or association of IPEC.

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