Binding of acrylic and sulphonic polyanions by open-chain polyammonium cations

The interactions between some acrylic and sulphonic polyanions and some protonated amines (diamines NH(2)-(CH(2))(x)-NH(2), x=2,...,10; linear tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexa-amines) were studied potentiometrically in aqueous solution, at 25 degrees C. For both types of polyanions AL(2)H(i) (L(-), monomer of polyanion, A, amine) species are formed, with i=1,...,n (n=number of amino groups in the amine). The stability of these species is strictly dependent on the polyammonium cation charge, and fairly independent of the type of amine (in diamine species maximum stability is observed for x=4, 5). Acrylic and sulphonic polyanion complexes are considerably stronger than analogous species formed by low molecular weight anions. Mean stability can be expressed as logK=2.87zeta(2/3), for polyacrylic anions and logK=2.42zeta(2/3) for polysulphonic anions (zeta=absolute value for charge product of reactants).