Two different classes of cationic polymers were investigated for complex coacervate formation with sodium lauryl ether sulfate; synthetic polylelectrolytes with hydrophobic flexible backbones and hydroxyethylcellulose derivatives with relatively rigid hydrophilic backbones. The synthetic polymers studied were polymethacrylamidopropyl(methoxy-carbonyl-methyl)di methylammonium chloride (AMT           triquat) and poly(methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC). The hydrophilic cellulosic polymers were trimethylammoniumpropoxy substituted hydroxyethylcelluloses.  The coacervate region was more constrained for the synthetic polymers.   Dynamic light scattering studies revealed that the complex coacervate dimensions for the synthetic polymers decreased as the system approached two phase region, while for the cellulosic polymers the complex coacervate complex sizes increased. Surface tensiometry revealed soluble coacervates below the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) for synthetics but surface active complexes for the cellulosics.  Pyrene fluorescence measurements showed that synthetic polymer complex coacervates formed were more hydrophobic.  It was concluded that the solution conformations of polymers with flexible, hydrophobic backbones collapsed to a greater extent than cellulosics.

Effect of polymer backbone flexibility and hydrophilicity on complex coacervate phase behavior

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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