Using jet mixing to prepare polyelectrolyte complexes: Complex properties and their interaction with silicon oxide surfaces

Use of polyelectrolyte complexes and multilayers from polymers and nanoparticles to create sacrificial bonds between surfaces

“…The use of higher concentrations when preparing the complexes led to the formation of larger PPECs, as shown in Figs. 1b and 2b, in accordance with what has been observed in polymer PECs [21]. This was likely due to the higher collision frequency of the pre-complexes.…”

“…In the work presented here, the jet mixing method was used for PEC and PPEC formation, being a very rapid way of mixing the polymers and nanoparticles. It has previously been suggested that when using jet mixing for PEC formation, diffusion is important for the initial formation of pre-complexes, whereas the role of the vigorous mixing is to control the formation of larger structures [21].…”

Polyelectrolyte complexes: Bulk phases and colloidal systems

“…This is quite common for highly charged polyelectrolytes at low or moderate ionic strengths and leads to quenched, non-equilibrium complexes. The final structure of these complexes depends strongly on the method of sample preparation, for example, on the order in which the polymers are mixed [31][32][33][34][35]. Below, in Section 3, we will discuss how the formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers and certain colloidal phases relies crucially on the fact that non-equilibrium complex states can be metastable.…”

Chitosans for delivery of nucleic acids

“…Davies et al [234] also obtained small and homogeneous PEI-pDNA polyplexes using a static mixer. PECs of two synthetic polymers have also been prepared by jet-mixing [236] where smaller PECs were obtained as compared to those prepared by polyelectrolyte titration (i.e. slow addition of a polyelectrolyte solution to the other).…”