Structure and Dynamics of the Polyelectrolyte Complex Formation

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The complex formation in the oppositely charged linear and flexible polyelectrolytes: quaternized poly(vinylpyridinium) (QPVP) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS) was investigated by static and dynamic light scattering (LS), flow birefringence (FB), and viscometry over a wide range of mixing ratios 0.003 ≤ m ≤ 0.9. NaPPS/QPVP systems in N -methylformamide + 0.01 M KBr generated complexes with fractal geometries. The observed clusters were stable and had average dimensions R g ≈ R h ≈ 1000 Å at low and high mixing ratios. As the mixing ratio approached m = 0.4, which corresponds to the gel point, the number and the dimensions of clusters grew to R ≈ 1500−3000 Å with a corresponding increase of the fractal parameter d ≈ 3. According to FB data, the axial ratio of the clusters at the gel point m = 0.4 was p = L / d = 1.07, which supports a model with spherical shape.