Structures, properties, and alkali metal ion transport membrane of polyelectrolyte complexes consisting of methyl glycol chitosan, glycol chitosan, and poly(vinyl sulfate)

摘要

AbstractMixtures of methyl glycol chitosan and glycol chitosan were reacted with poly(vinyl sulfate) to form many different water‐insoluble polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) in aqueous solution at various hydrogen ion concentrations. It was revealed from elemental analyses, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and solubilities of PEC that molecular structures of each PEC are dependent on H+. PEC membranes were made from casting solutions of all kinds of PEC, and transport phenomena through the membrane of PEC prepared in a pH 13.0 solution were investigated under various conditions. The transport ratio of Na+and the electric potential difference between the left‐ and right‐hand sides of the membrane were measured, and it is suggested that the driving force for active transport depends on the membrane potential, Donnan potential and diffusion potential. Moreover, permeability of K+was higher than that of Na+in selective tran