Diallyldimethylammonium chloride and its polymers

Abstract

The pyrrolidimium structure resulting from the cyclopolymerization of the water soluble monomer diallyldimethylammonium chloride is present in a variety of advanced polymeric materials. These materials range from water soluble polyelectrolytes to highly ordered solids. Applied research on diallyldimethylammonium chloride has been performed in order to optimize the monomer and polymer syntheses, characterize the polymers produced, improve the material properties as well as the applied technologies, and to develop new products. In addition, fundamental research has included the study of polyelectrolyte behavior of diallyldimethylammonium chloride polymers in solution. This article comprehensively reviews the work on diallyldimethylammonium chloride summarizing the current knowledge and recent progress in the field of kinetics and mechanism of homo- and copolymer syntheses, chemical structures, polyelectrolyte behavior in solution, molecular characterization, and interactions in solution and at interfaces. In particular, peculiarities of the syntheses and characterization resulting from polyelectrolyte influences are discussed in detail. A variety of current and emerging applications are presented. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999.