Polyelectrolytes are
polymers whose repeating units bear an
electrolyte group.
Polycations and polyanions are polyelectrolytes. These groups
dissociate in
aqueous solutions (water), making the polymers
charged. Polyelectrolyte properties are thus similar to both electrolytes (
salts) and polymers (high
molecular weight compounds) and are sometimes called
polysalts. Like salts, their solutions are electrically conductive. Like polymers, their solutions are often
viscous. Charged molecular chains, commonly present in soft matter systems, play a fundamental role in determining structure, stability and the interactions of various molecular assemblies. Theoretical approaches to describing their statistical properties differ profoundly from those of their electrically neutral counterparts, while technological and industrial fields exploit their unique properties. Many biological molecules are polyelectrolytes. For instance,
polypeptides, glycosaminoglycans, and
DNA are polyelectrolytes. Both natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes are used in a variety of industries.
