Electrostatic self-assembly of neutral and polyelectrolyte block copolymers and oppositely charged surfactant

We investigated the phase behavior and the microscopic structure of the colloidal complexes constituted from neutral/polyelectrolyte diblock copolymers and oppositely charged surfactant by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The neutral block is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and the polyelectrolyte block is negatively charged poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). In aqueous solution with neutral pH, PAA behaves as a weak polyelectrolyte, whereas PNIPAM is neutral and in good-solvent condition at ambient temperature, but in poor-solvent condition above approximately 32 degrees C. This block copolymer, PNIPAM-b-PAA with a narrow polydispersity, is studied in aqueous solution with an anionic surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). For a low surfactant-to-polymer charge ratio Z lower than the critical value ZC, the colloidal complexes are single DTAB micelles dressed by a few PNIPAM-b-PAA. Above ZC, the colloidal complexes form a core-shell microstructure. The core of the complex consists of densely packed DTA+ micelles, most likely connected between them by PAA blocks. The intermicellar distance of the DTA+ micelles is approximately 39 A, which is independent of the charge ratio Z as well as the temperature. The corona of the complex is constituted from the thermosensitive PNIPAM. At lower temperature the macroscopic phase separation is hindered by the swollen PNIPAM chains. Above the critical temperature TC, the PNIPAM corona collapses leading to hydrophobic aggregates of the colloidal complexes.     

Salt effect on the complex formation between polyelectrolyte and oppositely charged surfactant in aqueous solution

The complex formation between sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) at various sodium bromide concentrations (C(NaBr)) has been studied by microcalorimetry, turbidimetric titration, steady-state fluorescence measurements, and the fluorescence polarization technique. The addition of salt is found to influence the formation of NaCMC/DTAB complexes markedly. At C(NaBr) = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.10, and 0.20 M, DTAB monomers form micelle-like aggregates on NaCMC chains to form NaCMC/DTAB complexes above the critical surfactant concentration (C1). At C(NaBr) = 0.23 M, DTAB molecules first form micelles above a 2.46 mM DTAB concentration prompted by the added salt, and then, above C1 = 4.40 mM, these micelles can aggregate with NaCMC chains to form NaCMC/DTAB complexes. However, at C(NaBr) = 0.25 M, there is no NaCMC/DTAB complex formation because of the complete salt screening of the electrostatic attraction between DTAB micelles and NaCMC chains. It is also surprisingly found that the addition of NaBr can bring out a decrease in C1 at C(NaBr) < 0.20 M. Moreover, the addition of NaBr to a mixture of 0.01 g/L NaCMC and 3.6 mM DTAB can directly induce the formation of NaCMC/DTAB complexes. This salt-enhancing effect on the complex formation is explained as the result of competition between the screening of interaction of polyelectrolyte with surfactant and the increasing of polyelectrolyte/surfactant interaction owing to the growth of micelles by added salt. When the increasing of polyelectrolyte/surfactant interaction exceeds the screening of interaction, the complex formation can be enhanced.     

Stoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes of ionic block copolymers and oppositely charged polyions

Micellization in dilute solutions of diblock copolymers with a polyelectrolyte and a hydrophilic nonionic blocks and oppositely charged polyions is studied using mean-field theory. In aqueous solutions the micelle core consists of the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) while the corona is formed by hydrophilic blocks of the block copolymers. Describing PEC as a globule in the framework of the Lifshitz [Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 55, 2408 (1968)] globule theory we calculate the surface tension of the micellar core/solvent interface as a function of the polyion degree of ionization, solvent quality, and concentration of low-molecular-mass salt. The equilibrium aggregation number of starlike micelles formed by block copolymers and homopolymers of opposite charge at stoichiometric mixture compositions is found as a function of the system parameters. It is shown that micelles disintegrate upon addition of salt.     

Complexes of polyelectrolyte-neutral double hydrophilic block copolymers with oppositely charged surfactant and polyelectrolyte

Complexes between sodium (sulfamate-carboxylate)isoprene/ethylene oxide double hydrophilic diblock copolymers (SCIEO) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTMAB), as well as quaternized poly(2-vinylpyridine) (QP2VP), were studied in aqueous solutions, at pH 7. The complexes are formed due to electrostatic interactions between the anionic groups of the polyelectrolyte block of the copolymers and the cationic groups of the surfactant or the homopolyelectrolyte. The structure of the complexes was investigated as a function of the mixing ratio of the two components in solution and ionic strength by static, dynamic, and electrophoretic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The mass and size of the complexes depend on the mixing ratio between the components. A transition from intrachain to an interchain association was observed for block copolymer/ surfactant complexes. SCIEO/QP2VP complexes were found to respond to increasing concentrations of added salt. Spherical and ellipsoid shaped complexes with a core-shell micellar like structure were formed in the systems studied.     

Reswelling of polyelectrolyte hydrogels by oppositely charged surfactants

The interactions between charged alkylacrylamide gels of varying hydrophobicity and charge density and the oppositely charged surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium (C16TA+) have been investigated to determine the conditions necessary to induce excess surfactant binding (beyond charge neutralization) and resolubilization of the polymer-surfactant complex. In all cases, an initial gel collapse occurred due to neutralization of the charges in the gel, and the volume of the collapsed gel was smaller than that of the corresponding neutral gel at the same surfactant concentration, as a result of the formation of interchain micellar cross-links. For gels containing neutral repeating units that were found previously to bind C16TA+, a subsequent sharp reswelling of the gel network occurred, beginning at a critical surfactant concentration called the cac(2). The reswelling is due to binding of excess surfactant, which results in the gels becoming recharged. For gels whose neutral repeating units do not bind C16TA+, there was no reswelling behavior (no cac(2)), but there was a gradual increase of the swelling back to that of the equivalent neutral gel with increasing surfactant concentration. The results are interpreted in terms of the expected surfactant binding isotherm.     

Interactions of polyelectrolyte brushes with oppositely charged surfactants

Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we study the effect of the charge ratio, the surfactant length, and the grafting density on the conformational behavior of the complex formed by the polyelectrolyte brush with oppositely charged surfactants. In our simulations, the polyelectrolyte chains and surfactants are represented by a coarse-grained bead-spring model, and the solvent is treated implicitly. It is found that varying the charge ratio induces different morphologies of surfactant aggregates adsorbed onto the brush. At high charge ratios, the density profiles of surfactant monomers indicate that surfactant aggregates exhibit a layer-by-layer arrangement. The surfactant length has a strong effect on the adsorption behavior of surfactants. The lengthening of surfactant leads to a collapsed brush configuration, but a reswelling of the brush with further increasing the surfactant length is observed. The collapse of the brush is attributed to the enhancement of surfactants binding to polyelectrolyte chains. The reswelling is due to an increase in the volume of adsorbed surfactant aggregates. At the largest grafting density investigated, enhanced excluded volume interactions limit the adsorption of surfactant within the polyelectrolyte brush. We also find that end monomers in polyelectrolyte chains exhibit a bimodal distribution in cases of large surfactant lengths and high charge ratios.     

Anomalous phase behavior of water-soluble polyelectrolyte and oppositely charged surfactants

Aqueous mixtures of anionic surfactants with cationically substituted quaternary ammonium derivatives of hydroxyethylcellulose, JR and LR series, were investigated by several techniques. On adding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to a polyelectrolyte solution, phase separation with precipitation occurs in a co-operative way, and redissolution of precipitation is observed at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS. This is due to admicelle formation on the polyelectrolyte. The phase separation for the two-headed anionic surfactant systems is also seen, while the concentration where this takes place is near the CMC of the surfactant. This is remarkable in the case of the triethanolamine cocoyl glutamate (TCG)–JR 400 system, in which TCG has a CMC over 1 order of magnitude smaller CMC than that of SDS. Surface tension and the dynamic light scattering measurements show the existence of not only electrostatic interaction between the cationic polyelectrolyte and the two-headed anionic surfactant but also intraction between the adsorbed polymers. The scaling analysis of the precipitation line of the surfactant with polyelectrolyte concentration elucidates that one molecule of TCG can neutralize approximately two charges on JR 400. Received: 9 February 1999 Accepted in revised form: 23 June 1999     

Electrostatic binding of oppositely charged surfactants to spherical polyelectrolyte brushes

We use Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations to investigate the formation and structural characteristics of the complex between a spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) and oppositely charged surfactants. Increasing the amount of added surfactants leads to a collapsed conformation of the SPB and the number of adsorbed surfactants exhibits a linear dependence. Nevertheless, the surfactant uptake into the SPB does not increase with further addition of surfactants. It is found that the surfactant length has a strong influence on the SPB conformation and the adsorption properties of surfactant. Upon changing the surfactant length from 3 to 11, the SPB undergoes a swelling-deswelling-reswelling conformational transition. The brush deswelling is due to the increase in the surfactant uptake. The increasing size of adsorbed aggregates is a main reason for reswelling of the SPB. A non-linear relationship between the brush thickness and the grafting density is observed. Especially at intermediate grafting densities, increasing the number of grafted chains has a weak effect on the brush thickness. We also find that a completely collapsed brush conformation occurs at high surfactant/SPB charge ratios or large surfactant lengths, while the brush layer is in a partly collapsed or extended state at an intermediate charge ratio and surfactant length.     

Salt effect on the interactions between gemini surfactant and oppositely charged polyelectrolyte in aqueous solution

The effect of alkali halides (NaBr, NaCl, KCl) on the interactions between the cationic gemini surfactant hexylene-1,6-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium bromide) (12-6-12) and the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA) in aqueous solution has been investigated by fluorescence emission spectroscopy, UV transmittance, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With increased addition of NaBr, a counterbalancing salt effect on the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) is observed. At low concentrations, NaBr facilitates the formation of micelle-like structures between surfactant and polyelectrolyte and results in a smaller CAC. At high concentrations, NaBr screens the electrostatic attraction between surfactant and polyelectrolyte and leads to a larger CAC. Upon the formation of micelle-like structures at high surfactant concentrations, the addition of NaBr is favorable for larger aggregates. The microstructure detected by TEM show that a global structure is generally formed in the presence of NaBr. The interactions also depend on ion species. Compared to NaBr, the addition of NaCl or KCl yields a smaller CAC.     

Study of interaction between two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and formation of polyelectrolyte complexes

Polyelectrolyte complex formation has been studied between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, e.g., polyethylene-imine, polymethacrylic acid, and methacrylic acid–methacrylamide copolymer. Formation of complexes could be shown through several experimental techniques, e.g., viscometry, conductometry, potentiometry, and IR spectra. It is suggested that these complexes are perhaps formed as a result of electrostatic cooperative interaction and a “ladder-like” interaction is likely to be more favorable.     

Interfacial microgels formed by oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and surfactants. 1. Influence of polyelectrolyte molecular weight

The synergistic adsorption and complexation of polystyrene sulfonate, PSS (a highly charged anionic polyelectrolyte), and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, C12TAB (a cationic surfactant), at the air-water interface can lead to interfacial gels that strongly influence foam-film drainage and stability. The formation and characteristics of these gels have been studied as a function of PSS molecular weight by combining surface tension, ellipsometry, and foam-film drainage experiments. Simultaneously the solution electromotive force has been measured to track the polymer-surfactant interactions in the bulk solution. It has been found that there is a critical molecular weight for surface gelation as well as for bulk precipitation and aggregation. Furthermore, we show that for the lowest molecular weights, PSS adsorbs with C12TAB in compact layers at the air-water interface. In particular, for mixtures of C12TAB with the monomer compound of the PSS repeat unit (e.g. Mw = 208), interfacial complexation is found to be similar to that of catanionic mixtures (mixtures of surfactants of opposite charge).     

Absorption of ionic amphiphils by oppositely charged polyelectrolyte gels

Slightly cross-linked polyelectrolytes absorb oppositely charged surfactants in aqueous media. Transfer of amphiphilic ions from solution into the swollen network proceeds as a frontal heterogeneous cooperative reaction causing a collapse of the original polyelectrolyte gel. Small and wide angle X-ray diffraction data show that electrostatic complex formed as a result of the reaction consists of lamellar type surfactant micelles embedded in a polyelectrolyte network. It is also shown that such complexes contain equimolar amount of surfactant ions and ionized polyelectrolyte units paired with amphiphil head groups. In other words a charged network is not able to bind surplus oppositely charged surfactant ions. However, it is still able to solubilize a substantial amount of a nonionized surfactant. Chemical structure of surfactants strongly affect internal structure of lamellae and stability of the complexes.     

Structure formation in films of weakly charged block polyelectrolyte solutions

A mean-field dynamic density functional theory is used to describe a phase diagram of concentrated solutions of weakly charged flexible block polyelectrolytes in a film. Electrostatics is taken into account by applying the local electroneutrality constraint (the Donnan membrane equilibrium approach). In the Donnan limit it is assumed that a salt added to the solution perfectly screens long-range electrostatic interactions. The phase diagram of a solution of a triblock polyelectrolyte in a film as a function of the solvent concentration and the charge of the polyelectrolyte (solvophilic) block is calculated for a given film thickness. The phase behavior of the block polyelectrolyte film arises from the interplay between surface-induced alignment and the electrostatically-driven structure formation. The observed mesoscopic structures (lamellar, perforated lamellar, cylindrical, micellar, and mixed phases) are oriented parallel to the surfaces for the considered case of morphologies unfrustrated by the film thickness. Structures with connections between parallel layers (bicontinuous, etc.) are not formed. As a result of surface-induced ordering, the region of ordered phases in a film is wider than in bulk and the phase boundary between ordered and disordered phases is more diffuse. As in the case of unconfined block polyelectrolyte solution, the solution in a film does not follow the lyotropic sequence of phases of such a block copolymer upon increase in the charge of the polyelectrolyte block. Upon changing the charge of the solvophilic copolymer block, transformations of copolymer morphology take place via change in curvature of polymeric domains. Due to confinement of a polyelectrolyte film, no swelling of solvophilic domains is observed.     

Binding of oppositely charged surfactants to spherical polyelectrolyte brushes: a study by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy

The formation of a complex between an anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is investigated. The SPB consists of long chains of the strong polyelectrolyte poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), which are bound chemically to a solid poly(styrene) core of 56 nm in radius. The SPB are dispersed in water, and the ionic strength is adjusted by addition of NaBr. The resulting complexes are investigated in dilute solution by dynamic light scattering, by electrophoretic light scattering, and by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The formation of the complex between the SPB and the surfactant can be monitored by a strong shrinking of the surface layer when adding CTAB to dilute suspensions (0.01 wt %) and by a decrease of the effective charge of the complexes. Complex formation starts at CTAB concentrations lower than the critical micelle concentration of this surfactant. If the ratio r of the charges on the SPB to the charge of the added surfactant is exceeding unity, the particles start to flocculate. Cryo-TEM images of the complexes at r = 0.6 measured in salt-free solution show that the surface layer composed of the PSS chains and the adsorbed CTAB molecules is partially collapsed: A part of the chains form a dense surface layer while another part of the chains or aggregates thereof are still sticking out. This can be deduced from the cryo-TEM micrographs as well as from the hydrodynamic radius, which is still of appreciable magnitude. The 1:1 complex (r = 1.0) exhibits a fully collapsed layer formed by the PSS chains and CTAB. If the complex is formed in the presence of 0.05 M NaBr, r = 0.6 leads to globular structures directly attached to the surface of the core particles. All structures seen in the cryo-TEM images can be explained by a collapse transition of the surface layer brought about by the hydrophobic attraction between the polyelectrolyte chains that became partially hydrophobic through adsorption of CTAB.     

Adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant complexes at the air/water interface: formation of interfacial gels

The adsorption and complexation of polystyrene sulfonate (a highly charged anionic polyelectrolyte) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (a cationic surfactant) at the air-water interface can lead to interfacial gels that strongly influence foam-film drainage and stability. The formation and characteristics of these gels have been studied by combining surface tension, ellipsometry, and foam-film drainage experiments. Simultaneously, the solution electromotive force is measured and used to track the polymer-surfactant interactions in the bulk solution. We find that surface gelation occurs above the critical aggregation concentration in solution but before bulk precipitation of the polymer-surfactant complexes. Furthermore, we reveal that strong readsorption of polymer-surfactant complexes occurs during the resolubilization of the precipitated complexes at high surfactant concentrations (i.e., >critical micelle concentration). Seemingly overlooked in the past, this readsorption significantly influences the surface rheological properties and foam-film drainage of these systems.     

Thermosensitive polyion complex micelles prepared by self-assembly of two oppositely charged diblock copolymers

Polyion complex (PIC) micelles were spontaneously formed in aqueous solutions through electrostatic interaction between two oppositely charged block copolymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(L-glutamic acid) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly(L-lysine). Their controlled synthesis was achieved via the ring opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA), ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine (Lys(Z)-NCA) or γ-benzyl-L-glutamate (BLG-NCA) with amino-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) macroinitiator and the subsequent deprotection reaction. The formation of PIC micelles was confirmed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Turbidimetric characterization suggested that the formed PIC micelles had a concentration-dependent thermosensitivity and their phase transition behaviors could be easily adjusted either by the block length of coplymers or the concentration of micelles.     

Strong and weak adsorptions of polyelectrolyte chains onto oppositely charged spheres

We investigate the complexation of long thin polyelectrolyte (PE) chains with oppositely charged spheres. In the limit of strong adsorption, when strongly charged PE chains adapt a definite wrapped conformation on the sphere surface, we analytically solve the linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation and calculate the electrostatic potential and the energy of the complex. We discuss some biological applications of the obtained results. For weak adsorption, when a flexible weakly charged PE chain is localized next to the sphere in solution, we solve the Edwards equation for PE conformations in the Hulthen potential, which is used as an approximation for the screened Debye-Huckel potential of the sphere. We predict the critical conditions for PE adsorption. We find that the critical sphere charge density exhibits a distinctively different dependence on the Debye screening length than for PE adsorption onto a flat surface. We compare our findings with experimental measurements on complexation of various PEs with oppositely charged colloidal particles. We also present some numerical results of the coupled Poisson-Boltzmann and self-consistent field equation for PE adsorption in an assembly of oppositely charged spheres.     

Nanostructure of complexes between cationic lipids and an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte

The morphology of aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged lipids is the subject of extensive colloid science research, because of their application in industry and medicine, the latter especially for gene therapy. In this work, we show that complexes of two different cationic lipids with the polyelectrolyte sodium poly(acrylic acid), PAA, share similar morphology with the complexes of those lipids with nucleic acids, implying a broader and universal packing phenomenon. We characterized by direct-imaging cryogenic-temperature transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta (ζ)-potential two cationic lipids, 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and bis(11-ferrocenylundecyl) dimethylammonium bromide (BFDMA), which are used in gene transfection, at equivalent lipid/polyelectrolyte charge ratio. Our results revealed that, for both types of complexes, onion-like multilamellar nanostructures formed, which exhibited similar morphology as in complexes of DNA or oligonucleotides (lipoplexes), based on the same lipids. Our findings suggest that the onion-like packing may be energetically favorable for a wide range of polyelectrolyte-liposome systems, from oligonucleotides and DNA to PAA.     

Ionic micelles in solutions of polyelectrolytes and block copolymers with oppositely charged blocks: Computer simulation

Complexation in solutions of strongly charged polyelectrolytes and diblock copolymers composed of oppositely charged and neutral blocks were studied via the molecular dynamics method. Stoichiometric micellar complexes formed in a dilute solution represent cylindrical brushes whose conformation is determined by the linear charge density on the polyelectrolyte and by temperature. As the concentration of macromolecules increases, the orientational ordering of anisotropic ionic micelles takes place. The complexation can induce the stiffening of the polyelectrolyte chain.     

Directed motion of a polyelectrolyte micelle along tethered chains of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte brush

The complexation of different single polyelectrolyte (PE) micelles formed by linear diblock copolymers with oppositely charged brushes with varying grafting densities and charge content was studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations using the primitive model. We found that all micelles perform a directed motion along the vertical z axis on the grafted surface where they trapped while on the other axes the motion is restricted in a circle in which the diameter decreases with the increase of the hydrophilic length of the linear diblock copolymer. The motion of micelles is characterized as super diffusion inside brushes with low densities and low charge content. At high grafting densities and charge content the diffusion becomes Fickian or slightly subdiffusive. The number of the absorbed brush chains on the micelle corona increases almost monotonically with the increase of brush grafting density or with the decrease of charge content. The distance from the surface in which the micelle is trapped can be controlled by the charge density along the grafted PE chain. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 621–631