In the interest of exploring polyelectrolyte/surfactant complex use to move and deposit hydrophobic molecular cargo to a surface, silica anchored polyelectrolyte complexes were synthesized. These silica complexes were generated by an initial amination of terminal silanol groups of silica nano-particles that were synthesized via the well know St�ber process.  Subsequent reaction of anhydride groups of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) with these amine groups via electrophilic substitution was carried out. Throughout synthesis addition of desired groups to the silica surface was monitored using attenuated total internal reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR).  The ATR-FTIR spectra show that the polymer is successfully attached to the aminated silica surface and that the resulting surface bound polymer does have bands that correspond to carboxylate functionality and give the bound polymer a polyelectrolyte character.

Preparation of polyelectrolytes chemisorbed to a silica surface

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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