Lower critical solution temperature in polyelectrolyte complex coacervates

ORAL

Abstract

Measurements on a common linear oppositely-charged polyelectrolyte complex system, potassium-poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium bromide), shows liquid-liquid phase separation upon heating, or lower critical solution temperature behavior. The experimental accessibility of the critical temperature occurs for a narrow range of monovalent salt concentration (Cs) with coexistence curves narrowing with increasing Cs that reduces the polymer concentration (Cp) in the polymer-rich phase. We will describe a qualitative comparison of this phase behavior to available mean field models.

Presenters

  • Vivek Prabhu

    National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Authors

  • Vivek Prabhu

    National Institute of Standards and Technology, Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Samim Ali

    Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Markus Bleuel

    National Institute of Standards and Technology, Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology