Wormlike core-shell nanoparticles formed by co-assembly of double hydrophilic block polyelectrolyte with oppositely charged fluorosurfactant
Abstract
Formation of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PE-S) between an anionic polyelectrolyte, poly(sodium 2-sulfamate-3-carboxylate isoprene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PSCI-PEO) and a cationic fluorosurfactant, N-(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl) pyridinium chloride (HFDPCl) was studied in alkaline aqueous solutions by static, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering. The structure of the formed PE-S nanoparticles was investigated by SAXS, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.
The results show that the tendency of the fluorosurfactant to form elongated threadlike micelles drives the PE-S co-assembly to a flexible core-shell cylindrical morphology with the core of the PE-S and the shell of the PEO blocks. Unlike other PE-S systems involving double hydrophilic polyelectrolytes, well-defined core-shell particles exist only in the narrow range of HFDPCl-to-PSCI unit stoichiometric ratios corresponding to zero zeta-potential of the aggregates.