Properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes obtained by polymerization of an ionic monomer in a solution of an oppositely charged surfactant

Properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes obtained by template polymerization of an ionic monomer in a micellar solution of an oppositely charged surfactant were studied using nephelometric turbidity measurement, polyelectrolyte titration and dynamic light scattering. It was shown that their properties differ from properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes obtained by mixing of solutions of a polyelectrolyte and a surfactant. A template polymerization as a synthesis way of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes makes it possible to obtain water-soluble complexes noticeably enriched with surfactant ions, as compared to the complexes formed by mixing due to the difference in complex structures. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.