Tuning Structure and Rheological Properties of Polyelectrolyte-Based Hydrogels through Counterion-Specific Effects

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Tuning at will the properties of gel-forming systems is of key relevance for many biotechnological, agricultural, and biomedical applications. For polyelectrolyte-based gels, ion-specific effects can be an attractive way for this purpose. This study investigates the counterion-specific effect on the microscopic structure and the rheological properties of a physical hydrogel formed of ionene-type cationic polyelectrolytes. The focus is on two monovalent halide counterions (F– and Cl–) and a divalent counterion (SO42–). A strong counterion-specific effect appears within ionene-based gels. In the case of halide counterions, gelation is more effective for more weakly hydrated counterions. Indeed, strongly hydrated counterions maintain electrostatic repulsions between the chains and as a consequence gel formation is shifted toward higher concentrations (higher critical gelation concentration, CGC). The combination of the complementary small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS) techniques reveals a strong contribution of ion–ion correlations in the structure of the gel network. Contrary to chloride gels, which present a single correlation length characterizing the distance between the cross-linking nodes, fluoride gels present an additional network of nodes. This is accompanied by a very rapid increase of the elastic modulus of fluoride gels, once CGC is reached. With divalent counterions, the gelation is even more remarkable with a lower CGC and a higher elastic modulus at equivalent polyelectrolyte concentrations. The presence of divalent counterions favors the association of chains, probably by a bridging effect. This evokes the “egg-box” model, and the characteristic scaling of the elastic modulus with reduced gel concentration confirms this. However, only a narrow concentration window for gel-forming exists for divalent counterions before precipitation takes over due to too strong attractive chain–chain interactions.