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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Supramolecular polyelectrolyte complex (SPEC): pH dependent phase transition and exploitation of its carrier
Subharanjan Biswas1, Ethayaraja Mani, Arobendo Mondal
1Eco-Friendly Applied Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical Sciences, New Campus, IISER-Kolkata, India. s.roy@iiserkol.ac.in roy.soumyajit@googlemail.com.
Abstract:
A supramolecular poly-electrolyte complex (SPEC) comprising poly-electrolyte acrylic acid with supramolecularly complexed guanidium is reported. This complex shows pH responsive phase transitions, which are described and characterized using microscopy, spectroscopy, density functional theory studies and Monte Carlo simulations. The phase behaviour of the SPEC is exploited by loading a dye like perylene and a drug, viz., doxorubicin, and their pH dependent controlled release is demonstrated, owing to the pH dependent phase change of the SPEC.
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