Characterization of the Ultralow Interfacial Tension in Liquid-Liquid Phase Separated Polyelectrolyte Complex Coacervates by the Deformed Drop Retraction Method.

ABSTRACT: Dilute droplets form upon changing the temperature of a phase separated polyelectrolyte complex coacervate. This provides an in situ approach to measure the interfacial tension between supernatant (dilute droplet) and dense coacervate by the deformed drop retraction (DDR) method. The aqueous coacervate, formed via a model 1:1 by charge stoichiometric polyelectrolyte blend, exhibits ultralow interfacial tension with the coexisting phase. DDR finds the interfacial tension scales as γ = γ ₀(1 - C _s/C _s,c) ^μ , with μ = 1.5 ± 0.1, γ ₀ = 204 ± 36 μN/m, and C _s,c = 1.977 mol/L. The value of μ independently validates the classical exponent of 3/2. The scaling holds betwe

SUBMITTER: Ali S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7340275 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature