Advances in Polyelectrolytes and Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes have gained great interest in recent years for different applications. Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) are micro-/nanostructured units with exceptional properties, obtained via the polymeric interaction between cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes. Their properties are affected by a variety of factors, including the conditions of the liquid medium, the order of addition of the polyelectrolytes, the mass ratio, and the polyelectrolyte concentration. This Special Issue aims to collect research papers, communications, and review articles that offer original contributions to the development of novel materials prepared using polyelectrolytes or polyelectrolyte complexes, providing relevant information about the relationship between the chemical structures of polyelectrolytes and PECs and the morphological, thermal, optical, and/or mechanical properties of materials based on PECs. The Special Issue covers myriad topics, including the use of polyelectrolytes and multilayered polyelectrolyte complexes for drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering, their deployment as packaging films, paper additives and coatings, membranes and gels, bioadhesives, and more.