title: Architecture, Assembly, and Emerging Applications of Branched Functional Polyelectrolytes and Poly(ionic liquid)s.
abstract: Branched polyelectrolytes with cylindrical brush, dendritic, hyperbranched, grafted, and star architectures bearing ionizable functional groups possess complex and unique assembly behavior in solution at surfaces and interfaces as compared to their linear counterparts. This review summarizes the recent developments in the introduction of various architectures and understanding of the assembly behavior of branched polyelectrolytes with a focus on functional polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s with responsive properties. The branched polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s interact electrostatically with small molecules, linear polyelectrolytes, or other branched polyelectrolytes to form assemblies of hybrid nanoparticles, multilayer thin films, responsive microcapsules, and ion-conductive membranes. The branched structures lead to unconventional assemblies and complex hierarchical structures with responsive properties as summarized in this review. Finally, we discuss prospectives for emerging applications of branched polyelectrolytes and poly(ionic liquid)s for energy harvesting and storage, controlled delivery, chemical microreactors, adaptive surfaces, and ion-exchange membranes.
authors.affiliation: †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Weinan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Petr A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ledin
authors.affiliation: ‡Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkovskoe shosse 48, Kiev 02160, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Valery V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Shevchenko
authors.affiliation: †School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Tsukruk
mesh_terms: D050091:Dendrimers; D004573:Electrolytes; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D049329:Nanostructures; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D050091:Dendrimers; D004573:Electrolytes; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D011108:Polymers
keywords: hyperbranched polyelectrolytes; ionic self-assembly; oligo(ionic liquid)s; poly(ionic liquid)s; polyelectrolyte brushes; polyelectrolyte dendrimers; star polyelectrolytes