Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Systems: Current Advances and Future Perspectives
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Physics and Theory".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 5263
Special Issue Editors
Interests: thermodynamic and transport properties of aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes and surface active agents; interactions and structures in mixed polyelectrolyte-surfactant systems; complex colloid systems (associating polymers, micelles, vesicles, exosomes, drug delivery systems,…); application of static and dynamic light scattering for investigation of colloidal systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: control of DNA condensation using cationic surfactants, polyelectrolytes and proteins; adsorption of macromolecules onto surfaces; nanoparticle - poly-acid interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: colloidal systems; polyelectrolytes; surfactant-polyelectrolyte systems; self-assembling properties of amphiphilic drugs in solutions and in hydrogels; drug formulations after injection into the subcutaneous tissue
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Mixtures of polyelectrolytes and surfactants are abundant in nature and technology. They combine properties of both surfactants and polyelectrolytes, which exhibit characteristic features already as individual groups. Surfactants have the ability to reduce surface tension and form self-assembled aggregates of various morphologies in aqueous solutions. In this way, they offer solubilization sites for hydrophobic molecules (e.g. drugs, dyes, etc.). Polyelectrolytes are most known as agents for flow and viscosity regulation of solutions, but are also ubiquitous in biological systems (e.g. nucleic acids and polysaccharides). Moreover, they exhibit strong electrostatic interactions with oppositely charged species, such as ionic surfactants, or with amphiphilic drugs. The mutual association of polyelectrolytes and surfactants is highly cooperative and leads to the formation of polyion-stabilized micelles, resulting in so-called polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PESCs).
The behavior of polyelectrolyte-surfactant mixtures has been studied extensively over the years, ranging from studies of interactions in dilute aqueous solutions, to investigating phase behavior in more concentrated systems. A large emphasis has been given to structural features of the complexes, with the focus on either the effect of bound surfactant on polyelectrolyte properties (the polyelectrolyte-centered viewpoint) or vice-versa, the effect of the polyelectrolyte on micellization of surfactant (the surfactant-centered viewpoint). In the last years, also interfacial behavior (e.g. at the fluid-solid and fluid-gas interfaces) of PESCs has been studied widely.
The ionic self-assemblies of polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged surfactants have been used in a number of applications such as waste water treatment, oil recovery, drug formulations, cosmetics, surface coatings, preparation of colloidal particles with different functionalities etc. Furthermore, they can be exploited in preparation of hierarchically porous materials with well-defined morphologies that may be used in the fabrication of various polymeric supramolecular materials.
With the Special Issue Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Systems: Current Advances and Future Perspectives we hope to show that this is an old but vibrant field. We are inviting you to submit a research paper, a review article or a perspective on the current advances and/or future perspectives on a topic within this wide research area.
Prof. Dr. Ksenija Kogej
Prof. Dr. Rita Dias
Prof. Dr. Per Hansson
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- polyelectrolytes
- surfactants
- polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes
- cooperative interactions
- colloidal particles
- structures
- phase behavior
- interfacial behavior
- surface coatings
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