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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 May 2012
Inkjet printing of alternate layers of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytesallows organized gels to form with structures similar to those made bylayer--by-layer dipping methods but very much faster. Structures of gelsformed using slow and fast inkjet printing systems are compared usingelemental analysis, swelling and diffusion kinetics as characterizationmethods. After printing and washing, most sodium or chloride counter-ionsare last from the gel, leave only the polymer complex. The swellingproperties of the printed and washed gel depend on the deposition rate andon the ratio of the two polymers as originally printed. The syntheticpolyelectrolytes reported here can be compared with biologicalpolyelectrolytes reported earlier by us.