Sustainable plastics based on polyelectrolyte complexes

Coulomb’s (electrostatic) interactions between charged microdomains of two oppositely charged polyionic polymers result in the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs). PECs can be liquids (when hydrated), elastic PECs (when wet) and, often brittle and fragile, solids (when dry) as a result of strong interactions between charged groups. Though easy to prepare, PECs are extremely difficult to dry process due to these negative properties, thus limiting application. In this project, we first design and synthesize a novel class of polyions with bulky side group or long side chain, which will be used to form PECs with different ratios of Pol+/Pol-. We aim to develop plastics and 3D printable materials based on polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) and enhance their toughness by incorporating modified nanoparticles. Moreover, we envision these plastics and 3D printable materials can be easy to repair and recycle, thus contributing to the concept of circular economy.