4 search hits
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New Double-Responsive Micelles of Block Copolymers Based on N,N-Diethylacrylamide: Synthesis, Kinetics, Micellization, and Application as Emulsion Stabilizers
(2005)
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Xavier André
- Thermo- and pH-responsive block copolymers based on (meth)acrylic acid and N,N-diethylacrylamide were synthesized and their aqueous solution behavior was studied. Such bishydrophilic block copolymers represent an interesting class of stimuli-responsive water-soluble materials whose macroscopic properties can be triggered at the molecular level by tuning the temperature, the pH and the ionic strength of the solution. A new method was introduced for the synthesis of well-defined poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEAAm) via living anionic polymerization using ethyl alpha-lithioisobutyrate (EiBLi) in the presence of triethylaluminium (Et3Al) as Lewis acid in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at -78 °C. Kinetic investigations were performed using in-situ Fourier-transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) fiber-optic spectroscopy. This is the first mechanistic study of the anionic polymerization of a dialkylacrylamide. The polymerization follows first order kinetics with respect to the effective concentration of active chains, [P*]0, but shows complex kinetics with respect to the actual monomer and initial aluminum concentrations. Upon addition of Et3Al, the polymerization rate constant, kp decreases, which is explained by the formation of an amidoenolate chain end/Et3Al complex of lower reactivity. It involves two equilibria: between noncoordinated and Et3Al-coordinated chain ends (deactivation of chain ends) as well as between free and Et3Al-activated monomer (activated monomer mechanism). These two effects are in a delicate balance that depends on the ratio of the concentrations of Et3Al, monomer, and chain ends. Thus, the polymerization rate of this system is governed simultaneously by the complex interplay between the activation of monomer (dependent on monomer and Et3Al concentrations) and the deactivation of chain ends (dependent on the ratio of concentrations of Et3Al to initiator). Polymers with narrow molecular weight distribution are obtained, indicating that the rate of interconversion between the different chain end species is greater than the polymerization rate. In contrast, such well-defined polymers are not found in the absence of Et3Al. PDEAAm polymers, synthesized using organolithium initiator in the presence of Et3Al, are rich in heterotactic (mr) triads and exhibit Lower Critical Solution Temperatures (LCST) in water with a cloud point at Tc = ca. 31 °C. By extending this synthetic concept and using poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-Li, and poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-Li as macroinitiators, well-defined poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-PDEAAm, and poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-block-PDEAAm block copolymers were obtained. Although the blocking efficiencies remained below 70 % a separation of block and homopolymers was easily possible. The narrowly distributed (AA)45-b-(DEAAm)360 block copolymer obtained after hydrolysis of the protecting tert-butyl groups exhibits interesting ‘schizophrenic’ micellization behavior in response to temperature, to pH, and to ionic strength of the aqueous media. Due to its asymmetric composition, two opposite micellar structures are expected. Indeed, the existence of different micellar aggregates, i.e., ‘crew-cut’ micelles with a PDEAAm core and inverse star-like micelles with PAA core, was proven by several analytical techniques, like Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS), Dynamic and Static Light Scattering (DLS, SLS) and Cryo Transmission Electron Microscopy (cryo-TEM). Furthermore, all the transitions were found to be reversible. Finally, the synthesized bishydrophilic block copolymers were used for batch emulsion polymerizations of styrene, methyl methacrylate and n-butyl acrylate. In all cases, latexes with remarkable long-term stabilities were obtained, which is a very interesting feature from the colloidal point of view. The stabilization efficiency was found to be essentially adjustable by the pH due to the loss of the PDEAAm segment inside the latex particle. A detailed analysis of the particle size and particle size distribution was carried out using a variety of methods, including DLS, TEM and Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF-FFF).
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Phasenverhalten von Blockcopolymeren und deren Wechselwirkung mit normalen Kohlenwasserstoff-Tensiden
(2005)
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Elham Eghbali
- Die Mizellbildung dreier Blockcopolymer-Systemen in Wasser und deren Wechselwirkungen mit normalen Kohlenwasserstoff-Tensiden wurden durch Messungen der Oberflächenspannung, Elektronenmikroskopie, Lichtstreuung und Kleinwinkelneutronenstreuung untersucht. Für das System PEO18-PEB64-PEO18 sind die wässrigen Lösungen der Blockcopolymere trüb und metastabil und trennen sich innerhalb von ein paar Wochen in zwei Phasen. Das Blockcopolymer ist oberflächenaktiv und erniedrigt die Oberflächenspannung von Wasser. Die elektronenmikroskopischen Aufnahmen einer 1% igen Lösung des Blockcopolymers in Wasser weisen auf eine Polymorphie der Aggregate und einen fehlenden Gleichgewichtszustand hin. Unilamellare und multilamellare Vesikel und fadenförmige Mizellen sind nebeneinander auf den Aufnahmen erkennbar. Mit der Zugabe eines anionischen Tensids, SDS, ändern sich die optischen Eigenschaften sowie die Nullviskosität der Lösung und die Morphologie der Aggregate. Unterhalb der cmc des Blockcopolymers wurde keine Wechselwirkung mit Tensiden erkannt. Oberhalb der cmc lagern sich die Tensidmoleküle an die Aggregate der Blockcopolymere an. Mit zunehmender Tensidkonzentration verschwinden die größeren Aggregate und Vesikel und die Trübung der Lösung nimmt ab. Die dominante Morphologie ändert sich mit der zunehmenden Tensidkonzentration von Vesikeln zu fadenförmigen Mizellen, zu großen Mischaggregaten und zu kleinen SDS-Mizellen in welche einzelne Polymerketten gelöst sind. Diese Mischmizellen befinden sich im Gleichgewicht mit reinen SDS-Mizellen. Bei Sättigung der Blockcopolymere mit Tensid bleibt die Oberflächenspannung konstant und bei einem Wert wie dem von reinem Tensid. Die Lösungen sind dann klar und haben eine niedrige Viskosität. Die Sättigungs-Tensidkonzentration nimmt linear mit der Polymerkonzentration zu. Für das System PnBA100-PAA150 sind die wässrigen Lösungen der Blockcopolymere trüb und trennen sich in zwei Phasen. Mit der Neutralisation der Polysäure-Gruppe nimmt die Trübung ab. Für dieses System wurden zwei interessante Eigenschaften beobachtet: 1- Keine Oberflächenaktivität 2-Abhängigkeit der Viskosität von dem alpha-Wert Auf den elektronenmikroskopischen Aufnahmen sind die Änderungen der Morphologie und der Teilchenanordnung mit dem alpha-Wert erkennbar. Bei alpha=0 koexistieren unterschiedliche Morphologien wie kugelförmige Mizellen und Stäbchen, deren Größe und Form darauf hinweisen, daß das System sich nicht in einem thermodynamischen Zustand befindet. Bei alpha>0.1 sind die Teilchen ausschließlich kugelförmig. Die Polymer-Moleküle aggregieren in kugelförmige Aggregate mit einer Kern-Schale Struktur. Mit zunehmendem alpha-Wert erkennt man eine hohe Ordnung der Aggregate und einen ziemlich gleichmässigen Abstand zwischen den Teilchen. Die Polyelektrolyt-Kette streckt sich mit zunehmendem alpha-Wert, bei alpha=0,5 hat sie die höchste Länge erreicht und die Mizellen besitzen die höchste Ordnung. Aus der SANS-Messung läßt sich zwischen den Teilchen ein Abstand von ca. 104 nm und ein Durchmesser von ca. 99 nm für die Teilchen berechnen. Dies entspricht einer dichten Packung der Aggregate, welche sich in der hohen Viskosität der Lösung wiederspiegelt. Sowohl kationische, anionische und zwitterionische Tenside lagern sich an das Blockcopolymer an. Das kationische Tensid bindet an die negativ geladenen Säuregruppen und bildet einen nicht löslichen Komplex, welcher sich bei niedrigeren Tensidkonzentrationen um den Kern der Blockcopolymere legt. Die Mizelle hat dann einen schalenförmigen Aufbau mit dem Butylacrylat-Block im Zentrum, der mit einer Schale von dem unlöslichen Komplex umgeben ist. Der Rest der Polyelektrolyt-Kette bildet die Corona.) Bei höheren Tensidkonzentrationen fällt der Komplex aus der Lösung. Das Tensid bindet sich kooperativ an die Polysäure und ist nicht gleichmäßig verteilt. Mit dem anionischen Tensid SDS dominieren hydrophobe Wechselwirkungen. Das Tensid dringt in den Kern der Mizelle hinein. Nach Absättigung der vorhandenen Grenzfläche und Auflösung der Blockcopolymermizellen aggregieren die Tensid-Moleküle in normale Mizellen. Mit dem zwitterionischen Tensid C14DMAO wird die Wechselwirkung bei niedrigen alpha-Werten durch Protonenübertragung und elektrostatische Kräfte und bei höheren alpha-Werten durch hydrophobe Kräfte beherrscht. Das Blockcopolymer PMMA60-PAA90 aggregiert in Wasser ohne die Oberflächenspannung zu erniedrigen. Die wässrigen Lösungen von PMMA60-PAA90 schäumen obwohl das Blockcopolymer die Oberflächenspannung des Wassers kaum ändert. Die Viskosität von 1 %igen Blockcopolymer-Lösungen ändern sich nur wenig mit dem alpha-Wert und bleiben für den ganzen Neutralisationsbereich niedrig. Auf der Kryo-TEM Aufnahme der Mizellen ist eine starke Ordnung erkennbar, die aber keine hohe Viskosität verursacht. Der Unterschied kann ebenfalls an der Länge der Polyelektrolyt-Ketten liegen.
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Shear-induced alignment in block copolymer solutions
(2005)
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Gabi Cantea
- The alignment of the ordered microdomains of block copolymers in solution has been accomplished by using mechanical shear fields. Two pathways to monitore the achievement of aligned structures have been used: rheo-optical and in situ rheo-SAXS methods. The AC diblock copolymer and ABC triblock terpolymer with high molecular weights and different morphologies were synthesized via anionic polymerization and the alignment has been monitored from the solutions of neat AC diblock, ABC triblock and their blend in a non-volatile solvent. Before proceeding to the alignment protocols the thermodynamics of the diblock copolymer solutions has been studied by rheological means. The slightly asymmetric diblock copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(t-butyl methacrylate) (ST) as solutions at different concentrations was investigated by scanning of moduli over a range of temperatures and the morphological transitions were detected. This led us to conclude that dioctyl phthalate is a selective solvent for this diblock copolymer (ST) and a transition from the initially lamellar toward a cylindrical or spherical morphology takes place before order-disorder transition. A route to check the induced asymmetry due to the solvent selectivity was accomplished by applying the Leibler dilution approximation theory. While for the less asymmetric diblock copolymer ST(72K) the dilution approximation theory could be approached, for the higher asymmetric ST(117K) a failure of the theory has been encountered. For the system ST(72K) where the theory was still valid, as a result an expression for the interaction parameter has been developed. The alignment kinetics were performed first by making use of the rheooptical method and the monitored retardation was further used for calculation of birefringence. A perfectly symmetric diblock ST with high molecular weight (100K) as solution in dioctyl phthalate was used for the alignment protocols. Previous investigation of such system did not show any order-order transition, thus for this particular symmetric diblock the same lamellar morphology was preserved in the swollen state. Over a wide range of frequencies and strain amplitudes the monitored birefringence was always positive meaning a perpendicular alignment with the normals of lamellae along the vorticity axis and perpendicular on the plane formed between flow direction and gradient velocity axes. This prefered alignment has been explained due to the low viscoelastic contrast between the polystyrene and poly(t-butyl methacrylate) blocks which did not allow the sliding toward a parallel alignment found for systems with a large viscoelastic contrast. Thus, choosing an appropriate chemical sequence of blocks a selective type of macroscopic alignment by LAOS can be achieved. The introduction of the third elastomeric block between the thermoplastic outer blocks (S and T), namely SBT triblock terpolymer, lead to significant changes in terms of alignment in the sense of tunable intermediate (perpendicular and transverse) aligned states which finally led to the same final parallel orientation in the diluted state. The in situ rheo-SAXS method applied to the same system elucidated the intermediate mechanism leading to a final parallel aligned state such as a coexistence of parallel and perpendicular states which gave rise to a transverse alignment in rheooptical method. As a finally aligned state resulting from in situ rheo-SAXS in oscillatory mode the perpendicular one was found within a short time scale (1h), while the rheooptical method revealed a perpendicular state at short time scale (1h) and parallel state at long time scale (10h). Finally, the investigation of the lamellar non-centrosymmetric blend SBT:ST=60:40 allowed preferential parallel alignment above a critical strain amplitude instead below the critical strain amplitude only perpendicular alignment is achieved. While the rheooptical method applied to a bcc morphology of a solution of SBM triblock terpolymer in DOP did not give evidence for an induced morphological transition, in situ rheo-SAXS was a powerful tool to illustrate such a transition. Moreover, we have shown that more complicated morphologies like knitting pattern of SEBM (as cast film from chloroform) which reveals a bcc morphology as a solution in DOP could be investigated and macroscopically aligned via in situ rheo-SAXS while the rheooptical method could not be used due to the non transparent system. The induced columnar structure could be monitored in 2D SAXS patterns which have never been reported before. In summary, it was demonstrated that mechanical field alignment of block copolymer domains in solution allowed to generate highly anisotropic structures even for block copolymers with high molecular weights under ambient conditions and for a large variety of morphologies.
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Structural Analysis of Cylindrical Particles by Small Angle X-ray Scattering
(2005)
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Li Li
- The objective of this work is to analyze nano-scaled cylindrical particles by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Three systems with cylinder-shaped particles: (1) Laponite particles in aqueous solutions, (2) Poly(carbon suboxide) particles in binary water/DMF solutions, and (3) Suprastructural aggregates of coil-ring-coil block copolymers in cyclohexane, have been studied by SAXS performing either a Kratky-Compact-Camera in our laboratory or ID2 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble. The synthetic clay particles, Laponite RD, have been chosen as ideal disc-shaped model particles. In combination of SAXS with static light scattering, the scattering intensities of a concentration serial (volume fraction from 0.0002 to 0.0016) were measured in almost three orders of magnitude of the scattering vector q. Through extrapolation of concentration the scattering intensity at vanishing concentration, i.e. the form factor P(q) of particles was achieved. It shows q-2 decay at intermediate q range, which indicates that the shape of single Laponite particle in aqueous solution is platelet. The plateau of the form factor at low q range implies that there is no aggregate or cluster structure, and the Laponite particles are dispersed completely under the investigated conditions. More detailed structural information was then obtained by fitting of P(q) with disc model. The radii of the discs exhibit a large polydispersity. A radius of 10.5 nm with Schulz-Zimm distribution of Rw/Rn = 1.5 (where Rw and Rn denote weight and number average radius, respectively) was found to fit the form factor perfectly. The thickness of one single platelet was determined to be 0.9 nm. The weight averaged molecular weight and radius of gyration were determined to be 930 kg/mol and 13.4 nm, respectively. The inter-particle interactions of Laponite particles were investigated by the structure factor S(q), from which the effective diameter of interparticle interactions deff was determined for the first time. The strong electrostatic Coulomb repulsion between charged Laponite particles was attributed to the much higher value of deff (= 46 nm), in comparison to 2Rg (= 27 nm). The recently developed multicomponent interaction site model was performed by Harnau to predict these experimental structure factors. An effective potential of interaction, which pays attention to a screened Coulomb interaction as well as an attractive interaction, leads to the best description of the model to the experimental data. By means of SAXS, the size of synthetic polymer carbon suboxide ((C3O2)n) dissolved in binary water/DMF solutions was determined for the first time with radius of gyration Rg = 1.7 nm and molecular weight Mw = 2760 g/mol, which corresponds to a polymerization’s degree of about 40. This value is much larger than literature one (5-10). The form factor of polymer carbon suboxide can be described by a semiflexible chain model. The radius of gyration in cross-section RC and molecular weight per unit length ML were obtained to be 0.3 nm and 350 g/(mol.nm), respectively, which can confirm the fact that the chemical structure of poly(carbon suboxide) is repeated pyronic ring, as suggested in most literatures. Thus the structure and size of polymer carbon suboxide were characterized completely by SAXS. Finally, SAXS was employed to analyze a suprastructural aggregation system derived by self-assembly of coil-ring-coil block copolymers. This is a newly synthesized subclass of rod-coil block copolymers composed of a nanometer-sized shape-persistent macrocycle and two covalently attached polystyrene (PS) coils. The solubility of the rigid ring is largely enhanced due to the attachment of the flexible side groups. With suitable length of the flexible side groups (Mw (PS) = 2500 g/mol) the block copolymers can form colloidal-sized aggregates in selected solvent cyclohexane, which were concluded to be of cylindrical shape with the rigid rings packing densely in a tubular way and the flexible side groups arranging outside of the ring. Such aggregated cylinder brushes can be further confirmed to exist as a mixture of cylinder bundles by analyzing the local structural parameter ML (= 25730 g/(mol.nm), molecular weight per nm length of cylindrical objects). In comparison of this value with M0 (= 6500 g/mol, molecular weight of single coil-ring-coil block copolymer) and d (= 0.6 nm, distance of adjacent densely packed rings), the number fraction of coexisted single cylinder, bi- and tri-cylinder bundles was resulted to be 1:1:2. Through fitting by using approximated circular cylinder model the radius of single cylinders was determined to be 2.6 nm (polydispersity 20 percent) with a hollow inside of radius of 1.2 nm.
