Presence Of Polyelectrolytes Research Articles

Effect of polyelectrolyte (PAA) on the dynamics of weakly charged microemulsion droplets in acidic medium

We use the dynamic light scattering technique (DLS) to study the dynamic behavior of complex constituted by weakly charged microemulsion in the presence of polyelectrolyte. We investigated the impact of adding oppositely charged polyacid (PAA), which is a pH-dependent polyelectrolyte, on the dynamics of charged microemulsion nanodroplets in an acidic medium at pH = 4.5 when the polyacrylic acid are partially charged. In a diluted regime, two diffusive relaxation modes are seen when adding (upon addition) the polyacrylic acid PAA to the microemulsion nanodroplets due to collective diffusion and self-diffusion fluctuations. In the concentrated regime, we observed three diffusive relaxation modes when charged microemulsion nanodroplets complexed with oppositely charged polyacrylic acid. We attribute the two first relaxation modes to the collective diffusion (fluctuation of concentration) and self-diffusion of the microemulsion nanodroplets. The third mode which is a slower relaxation mode; we attribute this relaxation process to the motion of the network formed by the polyacid PAA and microemulsion nanodroplets, or “breathing mode” of the network.

Impact of polyelectrolyte adsorption on the rheology of concentrated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel suspensions.

We explore the impact of three water-soluble polyelectrolytes (PEs) on the flow of concentrated suspensions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) microgels with thermoresponsive anionic charge density. By progressively adding the PEs to a jammed suspension of swollen microgels, we show that the rheology of the mixtures is remarkably influenced by the sign of the PE charge, PE concentration and hydrophobicity only when the temperature is increased above the microgel volume phase transition temperature Tc, namely when microgels collapse, they are partially hydrophobic and form a volume-spanning colloidal gel. We find that the original gel is strengthened close to the isoelectric point, attained when microgels are mixed with cationic PEs, while PE hydrophobicity rules the gel strengthening at very high PE concentrations. Surprisingly, we find that polyelectrolyte adsorption or partial embedding of PE chains inside the microgel periphery occurs also when anionic polymers of polystyrene sulfonate with a high degree of sulfonation are added. This gives rise to colloidal stabilization and to the melting of the original gel network above Tc. Contrastingly, the presence of polyelectrolytes in suspensions of swollen, jammed microgels results in a weak softening of the original repulsive glass, even when an apparent isoelectric condition is met. Our study puts forward the crucial role of electrostatics in thermosensitive microgels, unveiling an exciting new way to tailor the flow of these soft colloids and highlighting a largely unexplored path to engineer soft colloidal mixtures.

Synthesis of hollow fibroin using calcium carbonate as a template

AbstractSilk fibroin is a unique biomaterial and has gained much attention in biomedical applications. In this study, we have demonstrated the formation of hollow fibroin using the selective etching method. Initially, spherical CaCO3 was synthesized in the presence of polyelectrolyte, poly(4‐styrenesulfonate). CaCO3 particles were treated with aqueous silk fibroin solution, followed by methanol treatment. The sequential deposition of silk fibroin was achieved through a layer‐by‐layer (LbL) strategy to obtain fibroin‐encapsulated CaCO3. Finally, the fibroin‐ encapsulated CaCO3 was treated with an acid solution to form hollow fibroin. The crystalline phase of as‐prepared products was measured using powder X‐ray diffraction, and vibrational modes of products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The hollow fibroin morphology was examined using electron microscopy. The resultant hollow fibroin has good stability and can be explored in various applications.

Blends based on amino acid functionalized poly (ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) polyelectrolytes and PEO for nanofiber elaboration: Biocompatible and angiogenic polyelectrolytes

A wide variety of polymers have been electrospun to obtain nanofibers. However, obtaining nanofibers from polyelectrolytes is less frequent due to the charges of these polymers, which hinder the electrospinning process. Poly (ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) was modified with a series of amino acids (Aa). The functionalization of PEMA with Aa (PEMA-Aa) was demonstrated by FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. Blends of PEMA-Aa and poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, with different ratios were prepared. Nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning using blends of 10–20% w/v of PEMA-Aa and 10% w/v of PEO. The conductivity of blends decreased, and the surface tension increased as the quantity of PEO in the blends was increased. TGA showed intermediate thermal properties compared with the blend components. Nanofibers were obtained for all PEMA-Aa/PEO blends, with diameters between 170 and 350 nm. Continuous fibers without morphological defects were obtained at concentrations of 20% w/v and 10% w/v of PEMA-Aa and PEO. Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells viability, chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and embryo viability measurements were realized for PEMA-Aa. Cytotoxicity test showed both composition and concentration-dependent behavior for PEMA-Aa, with higher WJ-MSC viability at 0.1 mg/mL at 24 h. CAM assay showed the formation of a high number of blood vessels and chicken embryo viability was close to 100% in the presence of polyelectrolytes. This, study demonstrates that electrospun nanofibers obtained from PEMA-Aa/PEO modified polyelectrolyte blends can be considered as a promising material for biomedical applications.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ПРОЦЕССА ОЧИСТКИ ВОДЫ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ ФЛОКУЛЯНТА «АММИАЧНЫЙ» НА ПРИМЕРЕ МОДЕЛЬНЫХ СИСТЕМ СТОЧНЫХ ВОД

The presented material shows the results of studies on the use of polyacrylamide flocculant «Ammonia» for flocculation treatment of model wastewater solutions. The role of the physico-chemical method of industrial wastewater treatment with the use of high-molecular flocculants is shown. The values of the effectiveness of the described research method are given. A brief description of flocculants is presented, the features of the use of components for various industries, such as chemical and petrochemical, are considered. The class of polyacrylamide flocculants of the AK-631 type used as an object of research is briefly characterized. In the course of the work, examples of various types of model systems (activated carbon, calcium carbonate, kaolin, quartz sand) are given. The parameters characterizing the flocculation process are described. The basic equations for calculating the characteristics of the process are given. In the course of the work, the particle sizes of the dispersed phase were determined, and the optimal concentration of polyelectrolyte was calculated. Graphical dependences confirming the experimental values of the quantities are considered. The influence of the nature and concentration of (poly)electrolyte on the flocculation rate of activated carbon suspensions of BAU and quartz sand is investigated. The values of turbidity, chromaticity and activity of the polyelectrolyte under consideration are calculated. Graphical dependences of the activity value on the volume of the injected reagent are given. Similar values were determined for polyacrylamide flocculants of the AK-631 type (A-930 and A-1510). The effect of the concentration of the substance introduced into the system on the activity of the component is described. The given values are presented in the form of graphical dependencies, a comparative analysis is carried out. The rates of clarification of suspensions in the presence of polyelectrolyte are investigated. Kinetic clarification curves of the suspensions under consideration are given. The values of the initial deposition rates of particles of dispersed phases for all considered polyacrylamide flocculants are calculated. The effect of the initial particle deposition rate on the flocculation activity of polyacrylamide flocculants with an increase in their concentration is described. The process of purification of the model system from zinc ions for the components under consideration is considered. Graphical dependences of the efficiency value on the volume of the injected substance are presented. A comparative analysis of the use of the component with polyacrylamide flocculants of the AK-631 type (A-930 and A-1510) was carried out.

Stability of Boron Nitride Nanosphere Dispersions in the Presence of Polyelectrolytes.

Boron nitride nanospheres (BNNSs) were functionalized with polyelectrolytes. The effect of the polyelectrolyte dose and ionic strength on the charging and aggregation properties was investigated. At appropriate polyelectrolyte doses, charge neutralization occurred, whereas by increasing the dose, charge reversal was observed. The complete coating of the particles was indicated by a plateau in the ζ-potential values, which do not change significantly beyond the dose corresponding to the onset of such a plateau. The dispersions were highly aggregated around the charge neutralization point, while at lower or higher doses, the particles were stable. The salt-induced aggregation experiments revealed that the polyelectrolyte coatings contribute to the colloidal stability of the particles, namely, the critical coagulation concentrations deviated from the one determined for bare BNNSs. The presence of electrostatic and steric interparticle forces induced by the adsorbed polyelectrolyte chains was assumed. The obtained results confirm that the comprehensive investigation of the colloidal stability of BNNS particles is crucial to design stable or unstable dispersions and that polyelectrolytes are suitable agents for both stabilization and destabilization of BNNS dispersions, depending on the purpose of their application.

Composite Electrodes PbO2-Nafion®

PbO2-polyelectrolyte composite materials with a content of polyelectrolyte up to 13 wt% are formed by electrochemical deposition of PbO2, depending on the solution composition and the deposition conditions. Several assumptions concerning the mechanism of the formation of composites that taking into account the oxygen-containing species of lead non-fixed on the surface, located in the near-electrode zone have been proposed. The shape and size of the PbO2 crystals is altered by the presence of polyelectrolyte. The surface is more uniform and the crystals are smaller, there is not a pronounced crystallographic orientation, however the phase content remains practically the same as in the undoped sample. When using composite materials based on lead dioxide containing polyelectrolyte, selective changes in the overvoltage of oxygen evolution and electrochemical conversion of organic substances into aliphatic non-toxic compounds are observed. In this case, the electrocatalytic activity of composite materials depends on the nature and content of the polyelectrolyte additive in the oxide.

Исследование закономерностей очистки модельных систем сточных водс применением флокулянта «Водоканальный»

The article presents for the first time the results of studies on the use of the «Vodokanalny» flocculant for flocculation purification of model wastewater solutions. The process of flocculation of dispersed systems by polyelectrolytes is described. The influence of the nature and concentration of (poly) electrolytes on the flocculation rate was studied using BAU and quartz sand suspensions as an example. Graphical dependences of the described quantities on the concentration of introduced reagents are given. The clarification rates of suspensions in the presence of polyelectrolytes were investigated. The values of the initial particle deposition rates are calculated. The dependences of the value of the cleaning efficiency on the volume of the introduced substance are presented. A comparative analysis of the use of the component with polyacrylamide flocculants of the AK-631 type (A-930 and A-1510) was carried out.

Removal of divalent ions from viscous polymer-flooding produced water and seawater via electrodialysis

The presence of multivalent ions in polymer-flooding produced water (PFPW) hampers its recycling mainly because i) they increase the risk of scaling and reservoir souring (sulfate), ii) they interfere with the viscosifying effect of the fresh polyelectrolyte. It is desirable to achieve the removal of most multivalent ions without completely desalting the stream. With the adequate process conditions, electrodialysis could help to achieve this goal, so this work focused on evaluating the removal of divalent ions from synthetic PFPW through varying operational conditions. The experimental work consisted on batch experiments run in an electrodialysis-stack composed of strong Neosepta ion-exchange membranes. Synthetic PFPW solutions containing a mixture of monovalent and divalent ions were desalted at four different current densities, and three different temperatures. Additionally, the effect of the dissolved polymer on the removal was assessed by performing half of the experiments on polymer-containing solutions and half of them on solutions without it. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to achieve preferential removal of divalent cations (calcium and magnesium) through electrodialysis, especially when employing low current densities (24 A/m2) and high temperature (40 °C). The removal of sulfate, a divalent anion, is also accelerated in these conditions. The presence of polyelectrolyte did not significantly affect the removal rate of divalent ions. Thus, it is concluded that meticulous application of ED to minimize concentrations of divalent ions in PFPW is a potential effective way for water and polymer recycling in enhanced oil recovery situations, as an alternative to the use of other non-selective desalination technologies.

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin at oil-water interface in the presence of polyelectrolytes and nature of interaction forces

Here we report the adsorption behavior of protein at an oil-water interface, that is covered with polyelectrolytes (PE) and the interaction forces involved. The weak and strong PE’s used are poly(acrylic acid), PAA and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), PDDA, respectively. The protein and oil used are bovine serum albumin (BSA) and octane droplets in water, containing superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles, respectively. The intermolecular forces, hydrodynamic diameter and electrophoretic mobility measurements are used to study the adsorption behavior of protein. The results showed an enhanced displacement of the adsorbed PDDA and PAA with increasing concentrations of BSA. In the absence of BSA, the emulsion droplets covered with PDDA and PAA exhibited a long range repulsive interaction. The addition of BSA into PDDA and PAA stabilized emulsion resulted in a decrease in the onset of interaction of repulsive force profile. The reversal of the sign and the change in the magnitude of zeta potential indicates the displacement of PDDA by BSA molecules at the oil-water (O/W) interface, which was in agreement with the findings of Satulovsky et.al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 97 (2000) 9037–9041] that polymers on hydrophobic surfaces are not effective in preventing protein adsorption. These results indicate the displacement of macromolecule of very large molecular weight and preferential adsorption of small macromolecules at the O/W interfaces, irrespective of the nature of adsorbed PE’s (strong or weak, anionic or cationic with high or low charge density). These finding provides new insights into adsorption of proteins at the oil-water interfaces and may have important implication in tailoring industrial formulations with an extended shelf life and in increasing biocompatibility of implants.

Solubilization and Photochemical Stability of Octa[(4′-Benzo-15-Crown-5)Oxy]-Phthalocyanines in Aqueous Micellar Solutions

Methods of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and, in some cases, small angle X-ray scattering, are used to study solubilization and supramolecular organization of octa[(4'-benzo-15-crown-5)-oxy]phthalocyanines (Pc), H2cr8Pc, and Mgcr8Pc in an aqueous medium in the presence of polyelectrolytes, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or their mixtures with anionic surfactants: sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and sodium deoxycholate. The obtained results indicate the appearance of a monomeric, fluorescent state of Mgc8Pc in the presence of sodium polystyrene sulfonate and at the further increase in its concentration with an increase in the solution ionic strength and addition of anionic sodium deoxycholate. In all cases, the monomeric state of Mgcr8Pc is confirmed by the data of fluorescence spectroscopy. Photobleaching of Mgcr8Pc solubilized in the monomer form is observed in aqueous micellar solutions of sodium dodecylsulfate and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate. In the presence of PSS/NaCl, aqueous solutions of Mgcr8Pc were also studied using dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering.

Novel Fe3O4 based superhydrophilic core-shell microspheres for breaking asphaltenes-stabilized water-in-oil emulsion

Stabilization and destabilization of emulsions play an important role in a wide range of engineering and environmental processes (e.g., oil-water separation, waste water treatment). The destabilization of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions in the presence of asphaltenes, which form a protective interfacial layer to prevent the coalescence of emulsions, is a well-known challenging issue in oil production. In this study, a novel type of core-shell microspheres with magnetic core functionalized with a superhydrophilic zwitterionic polyelectrolyte shell has been developed and characterized, which shows excellent capability in breaking asphaltene-stabilized W/O emulsions and releasing considerable amount of water with the assistance of an external magnetic field. Surface force measurements using drop probe atomic force microscope (AFM) demonstrated the strong attraction between zwitterionic polyelectrolytes and emulsion droplets. The water-oil interfacial tension was found to increase with the addition of the microspheres, contributing to the coalescence of emulsions. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) tests demonstrated that asphaltenes could be adsorbed on the polyelectrolyte surface, suggesting that the polyelectrolyte could interact and disrupt the protective asphaltene layer at oil-water interfaces to facilitate the demulsification. The adsorbed asphaltenes on the polyelectrolyte shell can be released when the microsphere was treated in water, showing a reversable asphaltene adsorption/desorption behavior, which has great potential for cyclic reuse. Our results provide useful insights into the fundamental interactions between emulsions in the presence of polyelectrolytes, with implications for the development of new demulsification methods in water-oil separation and other environment related processes.

Design of polyelectrolyte core-shell and polyelectrolyte/non-polyelectrolyte Janus nanoparticles as drug nanocarriers

Cross-linked poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) nanoparticles synthesized by distillation precipitation polymerization (DPP) were used as polyelectrolyte seeds in seeded emulsion polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The use of DMAEMA and HEMA hydrophilic monomers as shell monomer fabricated a polyelectrolyte and a non-polyelectrolyte polymer in the presence of polyelectrolyte seed particles respectively. The effects of feeding approach and polymerization media on the morphology of the resulted particles were investigated. Production of polyelectrolyte and non-polyelectrolyte components in the presence of polyelectrolyte seed particles led to formation of composite particles with different morphologies including polyelectrolyte@polyelectrolyte core-shell and polyelectrolyte/non-polyelectrolyte Janus particles. Subsequently, to determine the behavior of the poly-electrolyte and non-polyelectrolyte shells, an acidic drug with the least tendency to the acidic polyelectrolyte core (vitamin C) was loaded onto synthesized PMAA seed particles and smart composite nanoparticles and its release behavior was studied in different conditions. Results showed that amount of loaded drug and release behavior depend significantly on the structure of utilized nanocarrier.

Micellar Properties of Surface Active Ionic Liquid Lauryl Isoquinolinium Bromide and Anionic Polyelectrolyte Poly(Acrylic Acid Sodium Salt) in Aqueous Solution

AbstractThe complex formation between anionic polyelectrolyte poly(acrylic acid sodium salt) [NaPAA] and surface active ionic liquid (SAIL) lauryl isoquinolinium bromide [C12iQuin][Br] in aqueous media has been investigated by surface tension, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and conductance. The self‐assembled structures have been characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and turbidity measurements. A range of surface parameters have been calculated from tensiometric measurements including critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface excess concentration (Γcmc), surface pressure at the interface (Πcmc), minimum area occupied at air–solvent interface (Amin), adsorption efficiency (pC20), and surface tension at the CMC (γcmc). The thermodynamic parameters, i.e., standard enthalpy of micellization , standard free energy of micellization (), and standard entropy of micellization () have also been evaluated. Four different stages of transitions, corresponding to the progressive formation of NaPAA–[C12iQuin][Br] complex (C1), critical aggregation concentration (CAC), critical saturation concentration (C3) and CMC have been observed owing to strong electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The results obtained from DLS and turbidity measurements show that size of the aggregates first decreases and then increases in the presence of polyelectrolyte. The binding isotherms obtained using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) show the concentration dependence as well as the highly cooperative nature of interactions corresponding to formation of polyelectrolyte–SAIL complexes.

Aggregation and deposition of in situ formed colloidal particles in the presence of polyelectrolytes.

In this work, aggregation and deposition of in situ formed magnesium hydroxide (IFM) in the presence of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) were investigated. Relative concentrations of interactants, as well as other experimental conditions, were changed to elucidate the interaction mechanisms from microscopic to macroscopic levels. Light scattering measurements were used to investigate the aggregation kinetics, fractal dimension, and collision efficiency of the aggregates on a microscopic level. Electrophoretic mobility and TEM were utilized to measure the charging properties and morphologies of aggregates, respectively. Adsorption and rheology experiments were performed to determine the deposition mechanism at higher concentrations of interactants on a macroscopic level. The results demonstrate that the initial rapid aggregation of IFM in the presence of HPAM is due to an electrostatic patch mechanism. In addition, the deposition was accelerated by flocculation with different mechanisms. When more IFM is involved, bridging flocculation dominates; when more HPAM is added, depletion flocculation plays a leading role. The results of this work may provide further insight into understanding the aggregation and deposition of in situ formed natural/engineered particles in the presence of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, as well as provide new possibilities for produced water treatment, biomedical applications, biomineralization, etc.

Dynamics of ions in model charged porous media: Influence of polyelectrolytes

We have studied by means of Brownian dynamics simulations the dynamics of small ions in model charged porous media. We have focused on the influence on this dynamics of short polyelectrolytes with the same charge sign as the solid phase. We have compared the self-diffusion coefficients of counterions of four families of systems with different compositions (presence or not of charged obstacles and of polyelectrolytes). Our main result is that the presence of polyelectrolytes only modulates a behavior we had already observed before: In the domain where the porosity is relatively high compared to the Debye length, diffusion coefficients of counterions increase when the porosity decreases. Moreover, we have shown that, in the systems investigated here without charges on obstacles, the self-diffusion of counterions is mostly affected by the presence of polyelectrolytes and not by concentration effects, contrarily to co-ions. Also, we have seen that even if the density of the probability of presence of counterions in the vicinity of polyelectrolytes is much higher than that on obstacles, the residence time of ions around polyelectrolytes is shorter than around charged obstacles.

Study the cooperative motion of long-chain polyelectrolyte in presence of small globular protein

We study in this paper the effect of small globular protein on the dynamic properties of long-chain NaPSS in semidilute regime using Dynamic Light Scattering and viscometry in three phases respecting the pH of the medium. The scaling concept of the heterogeneous system is compared with the De Gennes argument for homogeneous polymer solutions. The results showed a positive and negative deviations to the De Gennes approach of the correlation length scale of mixture defined by (cc*)δ. The macroscopic viscosity of protein and the potential electrostatic interaction are taken as principal factors affecting the cooperative motion of blobs. δ was discussed as the parameter responsible for the conformational change of polyelectrolyte chain subunit within blob. The theoretical analysis of the electrostatic interaction between protein and subunit gave one possible solution relating the deviation δ to the dimensionless coupling constant u as δ~uu+1 and δ~−13uu+1 for a swollen and shrunk subunit, respectively. A good accordance of experimental values of δ to theoretical approach was found.

The combination of KMnO4 oxidation and polymeric flocculation for the mitigation of membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor

KMnO4 oxidation combined with polyelectrolyte (K530CF) flocculation was investigated to mitigate membrane fouling in a membrane bioreactor. The optimum dosages of chemical additives in order to enhance the removal of soluble microbial products (SMPs) were determined. This method was able to reduce the concentration of COD in the effluent to 57.1% and 51.1% lower than those in the experiments in the absence of chemical flocculants and in the presence of polyelectrolyte, respectively. NH3-N removal was improved by combining KMnO4 and K530CF. When KMnO4 was used along with polyelectrolyte, the zeta potential was neutralized to a greater extent which resulted in an improvement in the flocculation process which subsequently increased the size of the flocs. It was also observed that the SMP of the mixed liquor decreased through entrapment into formed flocs and adsorption by manganese dioxide particles. Increase of the particle size and reduction of the SMP compounds together lead to the reduction of the cake layer resistance. When compared to the experiments in the absence of chemical additives and with polyelectrolyte, KMnO4 in conjunction with polyelectrolyte increased the membrane operating time by about 4 and 2.7 times, respectively. These findings confirmed that KMnO4 along with polyelectrolyte significantly reduced membrane fouling.

Effect of Polyelectrolyte and Fatty Acid Soap on the Formation of CaCO3 in the Bulk and the Deposit on Hard Surfaces.

The effects of sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA) as well as potassium oleate on the nucleation and calcium carbonate crystal growth on hard surfaces, i.e., stainless steel and silica, have been investigated at different temperatures. The relation between the surface deposition and the corresponding bulk processes has been revealed by combining dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ellipsometry. The aim was to further our understanding of the crystal deposition/growth mechanism and how it can be controlled by the presence of polyelectrolytes (NaPAA) or soap (potassium oleate). The addition of polyelectrolytes (NaPAA) or soap (potassium oleate) decreases the size of CaCO3 particles in bulk solution and affects both crystal structure and morphology in the bulk as well as on hard surfaces. The amount of particles on hard surfaces decreases significantly in the presence of both potassium oleate and NaPAA. This was found to be a consequence of potassium oleate or NaPAA adsorption on the hard surface as well as on the CaCO3 crystal surfaces. Here, the polymer NaPAA exhibited a stronger inhibition effect on the formation and growth of CaCO3 particles than potassium oleate.

Influence of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes on the conductivity and morphology of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) films

Conductivity of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) strongly depends on the film morphology, which can be altered by the presence of polyelectrolytes. Aqueous dispersion of PEDOT:PSS was studied with anionic sodium polyacrylate (PA) and cationic poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (pDADMAC) polyelectrolytes that are typically used in papermaking as retention aids and dispersing agents in the paper pigment coating formulations. Spin-coated PEDOT:PSS films on a PA coated glass formed non-uniform layers with lowered conductivity compared to the reference PEDOT:PSS films on a clean glass substrate. On contrary, spin-coated PEDOT:PSS on a pDADMAC coated glass formed uniform layers with good conductivity. These results point out the importance of surface chemistry when using renewable and recyclable paper-based substrates with the PEDOT:PSS films.