Recent progress in the field of zwitterionic polyelectrolytes is reviewed. This class of polyelectrolytes is only five decades old, since the first synthesis was in 1952. Polycarboxybetaines, polysulfobetaines, polyphosphobetaines and a few more zwitterionic materials compose this class of polymers. In the current search for ‘biomimicking’ materials, this class is particularly important. The responsive properties of polyzwitterions are specific, sensitive and instantaneous to a wide variety of external stimuli, which has been reviewed in this article. The synthesis of polyampholytes and polybetaines (homopolymers, copolymers, block polymers) are reviewed. The exploitation of such materials in solid state conducting materials, chromatographic materials and other applications has been incorporated. The extensive discussion on solution properties, antipolyelectrolytic characteristics and influence of varying class of electrolytes has been qualitative as well as quantitative providing an insight into the importance and relevance of such materials, the block polymers form reversible ‘schizophrenic’ micelles also.
Hydrogels comprising of zwitterionic repeat units were synthesized. The amine groups of the poly (ester amine) were quaternized with 1,3-propane sultone. The gelation was observed on treatment with sultone. The hydrophilic gel thus formed is sensitive to temperature, pH, ionic strength and nature of electrolytes in aqueous solution. In absence of any electrolyte, the extent of swelling decreased with temperature, but in the monovalent salt solution the equilibrium swelling diminished with temperature and the contrary behaviour was experiential in bivalent electrolytes.
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