The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Complex coacervation is a phenomenon in which phase separation occurs when two oppositely charged polyelectrolyte solutions are mixed, resulting in a mixed polymer dense phase and a dilute phase. The applications of coacervate widely ranges in various realms of science, while the molecular understanding of coacervates has rather fallen behind. Here in, our system utilizes polyampholytes-polymers which incorporate both cation and anionic monomer units-as a versatile platform for exploring charge-driven phase separation. In this context, we not only tune the stochiometric molar ratio of charged monomers but also find out the differences between polyampholyte complex(PAC) and polyelectrolyte complex(PEC). Through these findings, we expect to observe the influence of charge balance on salt resistance and find out the dominant interaction of phase separation.