The effect of cationic polyelectrolytes, containing terminal hydrophobic anchors, on the stability of vesicles of dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride in calcium chloride solutions

Dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODMAC) dispersions containing high concentrations of CaCl2 were stabilised using cationic polyelectrolytes with terminal hydrophobic anchors. The cationic polyelectrolytes were based on quarternised poly(vinyl-2-pyridine). The stability of the dispersions was dependent on the molecular weight of the polymer and the length of the hydrocarbon anchor. The amount of polyelectrolyte required to stabilise the dispersions was dependent on the type of polymer used and the concentration of salt in the dispersion. Some of the polymers were also capable of stabilising dispersions that were heated above the L(beta)-L(alpha) phase transition temperature of the DODMAC vesicles. The polyelectrolytes that stabilised the dispersions most successfully in this study had molecular weights of about 10 000 - 20 000 and hydrocarbon anchors containing 16 carbon atoms.