Partial collapse and reswelling of a polymer in the critical region of good solvents

Journal Article · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.067801· OSTI ID:1049080

He, Lilin ^[1]; Cheng, Gang ^[2]; Melnichenko, Yuri B ^[1]

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1. ORNL
2. Joint Bioenergy Institute

Using small-angle neutron scattering, we explored the conformational behavior of a polymer in a mixture of good solvents near their critical demixing temperature T{sub c}. Experiments at full and zero average neutron contrast were used to study the correlation length of concentration fluctuations {zeta} and the radius of gyration R{sub g} of individual polymer coils as a function of temperature T. The results confirm a theoretically predicted partial collapse followed by reswelling of polymer coils to the original dimensions as T {yields} T{sub c}. Reswelling begins when {zeta} becomes comparable to the R{sub g} of the polymer.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Flux Isotope Reactor
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1049080
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 109; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DIMENSIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
MIXTURES
NEUTRONS
POLYMERS
SCATTERING
SOLVENTS