Hydrogels, in particular polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), represent a class of biomaterials that have received increasingly significant attention due to their capacity for self-assembly, stimuli-responsivity, self-healing abilities, and high tunablility to achieve desirable chemical and physical properties. As such, PECs have shown promise in tissue engineering, controlled drug delivery, and biosensors. However, the effects of block polymer variables like charged/neutral block lengths, salt content, and charge density on the (1) kinetics of the complexation process from charge moieties in aqueous solution, and (2) the properties of the resulting PEC hydrogel are still poorly understood, and this deficiency remains a longstanding obstacle in the design of intelligent hydrogel technologies. Using aqueous Reversible-Addition Fragmentation chain-Transfer (RAFT) polymerization techniques, we prepared a series of designer charged block polymers with a parallel synthesizer, varying molecular parameters such as molar mass and chemical composition. The PECs produced by their combination were then used to examine the relationships between the constituent block polymer electrolytes and the kinetics/dynamics of complex formation. To determine the size and stability of these complexes, characterizations were undertaken using dynamic light scattering, cryo transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering. These studies provide a foundation for the extrapolation of structure-function relationships in PEC hydrogels, and therefore facilitate the engineering of advanced multifunctional materials for a spectrum of bioapplications on the molecular scale.

Synthesis and structural investigation of customizable polyelectrolyte complexes

255th National Meeting (2018)

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