Polymer-surfactant complexation in polyelectrolyte multilayer assemblies
Malkiat S Johal1, Peter A Chiarelli2
1Department of Chemistry, Pomona College, 645 North College Avenue, Seaver North, Claremont, CA 91711-6338, USA. malkiat.johal@pomona.edu.
Soft Matter
|July 19, 2020
Abstract:
Layer-by-layer self-assembly can be used to incorporate amphiphilic molecules into multilayered polyelectrolyte architectures. This review examines equilibrium LbL assemblies constructed by direct adsorption from aqueous solution. LbL systems have not only provided fundamental insight into the nature of polyion-surfactant complexation, but have also yielded functional materials with useful surface, optical, and electronic properties.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Surface Active Agents
Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
01:30Micelles
Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...