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Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect

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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

Theory of polyelectrolyte complexation-Complex coacervates are self-coacervates.

Kris T Delaney¹, Glenn H Fredrickson¹

¹Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.

The Journal of Chemical Physics

|November 23, 2017

Summary

Complex coacervation, crucial for drug delivery and adhesives, is clarified. Theoretical models show oppositely charged polymer mixtures behave like single-component self-coacervating systems, confirmed by simulations.

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Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

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Published on: August 2, 2012

Area of Science:

Colloid and Polymer Science
Materials Science
Biophysics

Background:

Complex coacervation involves mixing oppositely charged polymers to form distinct phases.
Theoretical understanding of complex coacervation is often incomplete, leading to misconceptions.
Applications span drug delivery, sensing, and bio-inspired adhesives.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the theoretical underpinnings of complex coacervation.
To present accurate phase diagrams for polyelectrolyte mixtures.
To compare complex coacervation with self-coacervation phenomena.

Main Methods:

Utilized a simple symmetric polyelectrolyte mixture model without salt.
Employed fully fluctuating field-theoretic simulations.
Analyzed phase diagrams, including critical points, binodals, and spinodals.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that oppositely charged polyelectrolyte mixtures exhibit phase behavior similar to self-coacervating diblock polyampholytes.
Charge compensation via dimerization in dilute solutions was identified as a key factor.
Generated comprehensive, approximation-free phase diagrams for both systems.

Conclusions:

The theoretical framework presented clarifies complex coacervation principles.
Field-theoretic simulations validate the model's predictions.
This work provides accurate phase diagrams, advancing the understanding of coacervate and self-coacervate systems.