“…The cationic polyelectrolytes with amine groups, including PEG-poly(β-amino esters)-poly lactic acid (PLA), PEG-poly(2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl methacrylate), 1,2-distearoyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- N -[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)] conjugated poly(β-amino esters), PEG-poly(2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl methacrylate-co-dithiomaleimide), PEG-poly(2-(dibutylamino) ethyl methacrylate-co-dithiomaleimide), and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-poly(4-vinylpyridine) [ 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 ], can protonate under acidic conditions showing hydrophilicity, while they can deprotonate under basic conditions, indicating hydrophobicity ( − NR 2 ↔ NR 3 + ). In contrast, anionic polyelectrolytes with –COOH, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid), PCL-SS-poly(methacrylic acid), CTS-poly(methacrylic acid-co-N-isopropylacrylamide), poly( N -(4-methacrylamido)- N -(4,6-dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)benzene-1-sulfonamide-co- N , N ′-dimethylacrylamide) [ 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 ], can deprotonate and protonate in the opposite manner. For example, imidazole groups with a pair of electrons on the unsaturated nitrogen atom can be easily protonated in slightly acidic environments, resulting in conversion from hydrophobic to hydrophilic [ 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 , 121 ].…”