ИСТИНА

The interaction of star-like polyionic species, viz., star-shaped polyelectrolytes and star-like micelles of ionic amphiphilic (ionic/non-ionic hydrophobic) diblock copolymers, with the oppositely charged linear homopolyelectrolytes and with the oppositely charged double hydrophilic (ionic/non-ionic) diblock copolymers in aqueous media was investigated. It was found that this interaction can result in the formation of soluble in aqueous media distinctly comparmentalized nanosized complex species. The formed macromolecular coassemblies are considered to have peculiar "core-corona" (star-shaped polyelectrolytes) or "core-shell-corona" (star-like micelles of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers) structure. A hydrophobic core (star-shaped polyelectrolytes) or a hydrophobic shell (star-like micelles of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers) of each of the complex species represents essentially a water-insoluble interpolyelectrolyte complex incorporating the opposite charges of the polyelectrolyte components in 1:1 ratio. In the case of the star-like polyionic species interacting with the oppositely charged linear homopolyelectrolytes, a hydrophilic (ionic) corona granting the whole complex species solubility in aqueous media is composed of the (excessive) polyelectrolyte branches (arms of star-shaped polyelectrolytes or ionic blocks of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers) that are not coupled with the fragments of the oppositely charged linear polyions. In the case of the star-like polyionic species interacting with the oppositely charged double hydrophilic diblock copolymers, a hydrophilic corona providing solubility for the whole complex species in aqueous media, depending on charge stoichiometry between the oppositely charged polymeric components, either can be built up purely from non-ionic blocks of the double hydtophilic diblock copolymer or can be composed of non-ionic blocks of the double hydrophilic diblock copolymer mixed with free (excessive) polyelectrolyte branches (arms of star-shaped polyelectrolytes or ionic blocks of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers) that are not coupled with the ionic blocks of the oppositely charged double hydrophilic diblock copolymers. Such novel compartmentalized complex macromolecular architectures are thought to be highly in-demand by nowadays rapidly developing nanotechnologies, e.g., for a design of nanocontainers and nanoreactors.