ИСТИНА

Interpolyelectrolyte complexes with diverse morphologies based on different star-like polyionic species, specifically, (a) homopolyelectrolyte stars, (b) star-like polymeric micelles with polyelectrolyte coronae (which are self-assembled from ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers), and (c) bis-hydrophilic ionic/non-ionic miktoarm stars, are reported. When (a) or (b) interact with oppositely charged linear polyions, the formation of compartmentalized complex species with core-corona (in the case of (a)) or core-shell-corona (in the case of (b)) morphology is observed, given that charged groups of (a) or (b) are present in the system in a certain excess compared to charged groups of the linear polymeric component. Such a complex species contains a core (in the case of (a)) or a shell (in the case of (b), here the shell surrounds a hydrophobic core of an original polymeric micelle) assembled from oppositely charged segments of the polymeric components and a corona built up from excess (remaining free after the interpolyelectrolyte complexation) arms of (a) or (b). When (c) interact with oppositely charged linear polyions, morphology of the resultant compartmentalized complex species is determined by the charge-to-charge stoichiometry of mixtures of the oppositely charged polymeric components. If charged groups of (c) are present in a certain excess compared to charged groups of the linear polymeric component, complex species with core-corona morphology are observed. Otherwise, colloidally stable aggregated complex species of distinct vesicular structure are found. The wall of a vesicle (interpolyelectrolyte polymersome) is assembled from oppositely charged segments of the polymeric components and sandwiched between two hydrophilic brushes (outer and inner) built up from non-ionic arms of (c). (p. 30)