Interaction between polyelectrolyte gel-surfactant complexes with oppositely charged polymer and surfactant components

In aqueous media polyelectrolyte gel-surfactant complexes interact with ionic surfactants with the formation of the new surfactant-surfactant complexes. The reaction is accompanied by the significant swelling of the gels. The interaction between two pairs of the complexes with oppositely charged polymer and surfactant components results in the swelling of both gels due to the decomposition of polymer-surfactant complexes and the formation of surfactant-surfactant complex. The rate of the gel swelling is limited by the kinetics of the decomposition of the highly ordered nanostructures in the polyelectrolyte gel-surfactant complexes. It can be widely varied by the change in the charge density of the networks, the ionic strength of the solution, and the chemical nature of the surfactant.