Low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy of polyampholyte gels

The dielectric spectra of crosslinked polymers based on sodium polymethacry late, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), and their copolymers with alt ernating and statistical sequences of monomer units were obtained in the fr equency range from 10 Hz to 10 kHz and in the temperature range from 20 to 80 degreesC Abnormally high values of the dielectric constant epsilon ' (ab out 10(4)) were observed for poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride). This i s associated with formation of strongly polarized hydrated ion-containing c lusters. An analysis of the temperature dependences of epsilon ' for all sa mples showed that the dielectric response of the copolymer with statistical distribution of monomer units is largely determined hy the response of dia llyldimethylammonium chloride monomer blocks. The calculated parameters of the power law of the dielectric response indicate that, for poly(diallyldim ethylammonium chloride) and the copolymer with the statistical distribution of monomers, the interaction of charge carriers occurs, whereas for other samples, the conduction is governed by ion drift.