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

In aqueous media polyelectrolyte gel-surfactant complexes interact with ion ic surfactants with the formation of the new surfactant-surfactant complexe s. The reaction is accompanied by the significant swelling of the gels. The interaction between two pairs of the complexes with oppositely charged pol ymer and surfactant components results in the swelling of both gels due to the decomposition of polymer-surfactant complexes and the formation of surf actant-surfactant complex. The rate of the gel swelling is limited by the k inetics of the decomposition of the highly ordered nanostructures in the po lyelectrolyte gel-surfactant complexes. It can be widely varied by the chan ge in the charge density of the networks, the ionic strength of the solutio n, and the chemical nature of the surfactant.