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Updated: May 19, 2026

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

Responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers assembled at high ionic strength with an unusual collapse at low ionic

Joseba Irigoyen¹, Lulu Han, Irantzu Llarena

¹CIC biomaGUNE, Paseo Miramón 182 C, 20009 San Sebastián, Spain.

Macromolecular Rapid Communications

|August 31, 2012

Summary

Responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) fabricated with PDADMAC and PSS exhibit significant, reversible swelling and collapsing behavior. These polymer films demonstrate substantial thickness changes in response to varying salt concentrations, offering potential for smart material applications.

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Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

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Published on: March 2, 2020

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Layer-by-layer Synthesis and Transfer of Freestanding Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanomembranes

Layer-by-layer Synthesis and Transfer of Freestanding Conjugated Microporous Polymer Nanomembranes

Published on: December 15, 2015

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Nanotechnology

Background:

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are versatile thin films with tunable properties.
Responsive materials that change their physical characteristics in response to external stimuli are of significant interest.

Purpose of the Study:

To fabricate and characterize responsive polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) using poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly(styrene sodium sulfonate) (PSS).
To investigate the swelling and collapsing behavior of these PEMs in response to changes in ionic strength.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of PEMs by sequential adsorption of PDADMAC and PSS at high ionic strength (3 M NaCl).
Characterization of film thickness and water content changes upon immersion in water and high salt solutions.

Main Results:

PEMs with 11 layers and thicknesses of 350-400 nm were successfully fabricated.
Upon transfer to water, PEMs released approximately 46% of their mass and reduced thickness by over 200 nm.
These changes in thickness and water content were fully reversible upon re-exposure to 3 M NaCl.

Conclusions:

The fabricated PDADMAC/PSS PEMs exhibit significant, reversible thickness changes in response to ionic strength.
These responsive polymer films demonstrate a capacity for swelling in high salt and collapsing in water.
The observed reversible nanometer-scale thickness variations highlight the potential for developing advanced responsive materials.