Weak Polyampholytes at the Interface of Magnetic Nanocarriers: A Facile Catch-and-Release Platform for Dyes

We present a platform of charge-invertible core–shell hybrid particles for the selective and reversible adsorption of small charged molecules as model systems. The herein employed carrier systems consist of an iron oxide core coated with different pH-responsive polyampholytes which exhibit varying surface charge depending on the surrounding pH value. The resulting materials were used for electrostatically mediated catch-and-release experiments of either cationic or anionic dyes with the perspective to allow the pH-dependent magnetically guided transport of suitable cargo. The use of three different polyampholyte coatings (poly­(2-(imidazol-1-yl)­acrylic acid) (PImAA), poly­(dehydroalanine) (PDha), and poly­(N,N-diallylglutamate) (PDAGA)) enables a deeper understanding about how the surface net charge in combination with the charge and charge density of any cargo influences such processes. The size, surface charge, and aggregation behavior of the herein described particles were investigated via dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and pH-dependent ζ-potential measurements, whereas adsorption and release studies were investigated via UV–vis.