The article titled, "Complex Coacervates of Linear Polymers and Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles" was published January 18th, 2026 in Journal of Macromolecules. This paper was co-authored by Mingjun Zhou,* Nickolas Holmlund, Sarah L. Perry, Maria M. Santore*.
Grafting short-chain polyelectrolytes onto the surface of silica nanoparticles enables the integration of these particles into complex coacervate systems, a novel method for coacervate formation that shows promise for high-performance coatings, polishing compounds, and various other applications. These nanoparticle-integrated coacervates exhibit many similarities to traditional, entirely polymeric coacervates, including their general phase diagrams and qualitative consistency. However, important distinctions set the particle-integrated coacervates apart. Most notably, these systems exhibit a significant charge imbalance, which is not typically observed in entirely polymeric coacervates. Furthermore, introducing the particles creates nanoscale heterogeneity in the electrostatic charge distribution throughout the fluid's volume. The resultant excess cationic charge, which arises from the free polymer chains, was demonstrated to provide an additional capacity to sequester a second anionic compound, rendering the nanoparticle-integrated coacervates dual-use materials.