Formation of micelles by hydrophobically modified poly(allylamine hydrochloride)

The aim of this study was to transform commercially available poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) into hydrophobically modified strong polyelectrolytes. It was accomplished by reductive amination using hexanal or octanal followed by exhaustive methylation with methyl iodide leading to quaternary ammonium salts. Chemical structures of the obtained polycations and the degrees of substitution with hydrophobic chains were confirmed using spectroscopic methods and an elemental analysis. The structures formed by the modified polymers in aqueous solution were determined using zeta potential measurements, dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The morphology of the polymer films deposited on a silicon surface was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The microscopic observation confirmed the formation of polymeric micelles with sizes dependent on length of alkyl chains attached to the polycation backbone.