Formation and transformations of polyelectrolyte gel-ampholyte dendrimer-surfactant ternary complexes

Abstract

The reactions of complex gels formed via the sorption of a poly(propylenimine) ampholyte dendrimer of the fourth generation by oppositely charged lightly cross-linked polyelectrolyte hydrogels with ionogenic micelle-forming surfactants have been studied. The sorption of surfactant ions likely charged relative to the complexed ampholyte dendrimer by complex gels is associated with two parallel chemical reactions controlled by the concentration of the surfactant and pH which give rise to the formation of network-dendrimer-surfactant tertiary complexes. The reactions of complex gels with surfactant ions likely charged relative to the network polyelectrolyte make it possible at different solution pHs to prepare both negatively and positively charged hydrogels reinforced by disperse particles of the dendrimer-surfactant complex.