Interaction of slightly crosslinked gels of poly(diallyldimethylammonium bromide) with sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetylpyridinium bromide

Abstract The interaction of slightly crosslinked gels of poly(diallyldimethylammonium bromide) (PDADMAB) with both the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB; system. name: N‐hexadecylpyridinium bromide) in aqueous medium has been investigated. The absorption of the anionic surfactant by the oppositely charged gel leads to contraction or collapse of the network. The absorption of the cationic surfactant by the gel‐SDS complexes results in a reswelling of the network. By means of IR and UV spectroscopy it has been shown that in the presence of the anionic detergent the cationic network absorbs the cationic surfactant. It has been shown that both reversible and irreversible complex formation in the gel phase is possible depending on the initial ratio between the components. Small‐angle‐X‐ray scattering experiments demonstrated that the complexes may have a regular microstructure.