Electrostatically Driven Assemblies

The electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged molecules is an adjustable driving force for structured material construction. The current synthetic routes of polymer production often offer many variations in size, topology, functionality and polydispersity. An electrostatically driven assembly of nanostructures allows for the controlled incorporation of materials available by synthetic routes. Biological macromolecules, nevertheless, offer superior polyfunctionality compared to synthetic macromolecules. We preferentially use them. 

Abstract Screened electrostatic interactions are commonly employed in colloid and polymer science for stabilization in aqueous solutions to avoid macroscopic phase separation, but these are equally versatile as driving force for complexation (or microscopic phase separation) into micelles, vesicles, multilayers and other nanostructured materials. In this introductory chapter, we present an overview of the field of electrostatically driven assembly of polyelectrolytes into nanometresized association colloids focusing in particular on the fundamentals followed by a discussion of selected application areas. 

A series of publications on electrostatically driven assembly in the mid-1990s [15-17] sparked interest in the polymer community since the resulting aggregates showed promise as well-defined nanocarriers for all sorts of charged compounds... 

Schematic depiction of the formation of the zipper brush, the electrostatically driven assembly of a dense polymer brush. In this picture the polyelectrolyte block of the diblock copolymer has half the number of charged groups of the polyelectrolytes in the primary brush. Thus, assuming total charge compensation, the grafting density of the formed neutral brush is twice that of the original polyelectrolyte. Desorption of the diblock copolymer (e.g., by adding salt) restores the original brush layer. (Reproduced from from de Vos W. M., et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 48,5369-5371,2009. With permission from Wiley.)...

Maggini L, Traboulsi H, Yoosaf K et al (2011) Electrostatically-driven assembly of MWCNTs with a europium complex. Chem Commun 47 1626-1628... 

Supramolecular electrostatically driven assembly of the L-alanine-functionalized calix[4]arene... 

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