Issue 2, 2013

Single molecule investigation of complexes of oppositely charged bottle brushes

Abstract

We experimentally investigated complexation of oppositely charged bottle polymer brushes at the single-molecule level using AFM and CryoTEM. It was found that polyelectrolyte complexes have “scrambled-egg” morphology where oppositely charged polymer chains are not oriented parallel to each other but are intercrossed. Moreover, we observed that in CryoTEM polymer chains in IPEC appear brighter compared to the background that is in contrast to darker polymer chains of the individual components. We believe that the reason for this effect is the release of counter ions of the polymer brushes due to the neutralisation of the charged side groups of the polymer chains.

Graphical abstract: Single molecule investigation of complexes of oppositely charged bottle brushes

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
27 Aug 2012
Accepted
16 Oct 2012
First published
26 Oct 2012

Soft Matter, 2013,9, 359-364

Single molecule investigation of complexes of oppositely charged bottle brushes

I. Raguzin, G. Stoychev, M. Stamm and L. Ionov, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 359 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM26986D

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