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Migration of cationic polymer between anionic polymer microspheres
Summary
Cationic polymers adsorbed onto anionic polystyrene microspheres in aqueous solution were found to migrate freely between particles over time, resulting in uniform redistribution—demonstrating that polymer-coated microplastics can redistribute surface-bound toxicants as they interact with other particles in the environment.
In aqueous solution, the cationic polymers poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and poly-L-lysine hydrobromide are electrostatically adsorbed onto anionic polystyrene microspheres, which are used as a model of microplastics. The adsorbed polymers are able to migrate between the particles, resulting in a uniform distribution of macromolecules over all particles in the system. Interparticle migration should be taken into account when discussing the spread of toxicants associated with micron-sized vectors.