Entrapment of a weak polyanion and H+/Na+ exchange in confined polyelectrolyte microcapsules

An approach for the entrapment of a polyanion by polyelectrolyte microcapsules is reported. It is based on a reversal changing of microcapsule wall permeability from neutral to basic pH. Polyelectrolyte microcapsules were templated on latex (polystyrene) particles by the layer-by-layer adsorption of oppositely charged polymers of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride), followed by core removal using tetrahydrofuran. In alkaline conditions, the microcapsules swell and become permeable for polymers. During encapsulation, the addition of salt ions increases the amount of the polymer encapsulated and contributes to its protonation because of redistribution of H+ ions across a semipermeable microcapsule wall. The redistribution of small ions across the microcapsule wall was tuned by adding salt according to the Donnan equilibrium and was characterized by H+ sensitive dyes.