Based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations and analytical considerations we study the electrostatically driven adsorption of flexible polyelectrolyte chains onto charged Janus nanospheres. These net-neutral colloids are composed of two equally but oppositely charged hemispheres. The critical binding conditions for polyelectrolyte chains are analysed as function of the radius of the Janus partic...

A universal description is presented for weak adsorption of flexible polyelectrolyte chains onto oppositely charged planar and curved surfaces. It is based on the WKB (Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin) quantum mechanical method for the Green function equation in the ground state dominance limit. The approach provides a unified picture for the scaling behavior of the critical characteristics of polyele...

We develop a scaling model relating the friction forces between two polyelectrolyte brushes sliding over each other to the separation between grafted surfaces, number of monomers and charges per chain, grafting density of chains, and solvent quality. We demonstrate that the lateral force between brushes increases upon compression, but to a lesser extent than the normal force. The shear stress a...

The objective of this investigation was the development of chitosan/xanthan polyelectrolyte complex based mucoadhesive nasal insert of promethazine hydrochloride a drug used in the treatment of motion sickness. A 3(2) factorial design was applied for preparing chitosan/xanthan polyelectrolyte complex and to study the effect of independent variables i.e. concentration of xanthan [X1] and concent...

– Multivalent ions can induce condensation of like-charged polyelectrolytes into compact states, a process that requires different ion valence for different polyelectrolyte species. We have examined the trivalent ion induced condensation behavior in binary anionic polyelectrolyte mixtures consisting of DNA coils and F-actin rods, and observe a micro-phase separation between the two polyelectrol...

Silver nanocubes were synthesized for the first time in large quantities on gold seed in the presence of a polyelectrolyte using microwave heating for 60-120 s. Our experiment indicates that the polyelectrolyte directs the growth of the particle in a specified crystallographic direction resulting in the faceted particle, i.e. a nanocube. The nanocubes are stable for at least 2 months in ambient...

Polyelectrolyte-colloid coacervation could be viewed as a sub-category of complex coacervation, but is unique in (1) retaining the structure and properties of the colloid, and (2) reducing the heterogeneity and configurational complexity of polyelectrolyte-polyelectrolyte (PE-PE) systems. Interest in protein-polyelectrolyte coacervates arises from preservation of biofunctionality; in addition, ...

Addition of chlorosulfonyl isocyanate to C==C bonds in cis-1,4-polyisoprene and reaction of the adduct with NaOH resulted in the formation of a water-soluble polyelectrolyte with N-sulfate and carboxylate groups. The polyelectrolyte showed anticoagulant activity and it was found, just as with heparin, that the activity was related to molecular weight and N-sulfate content.