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Title: Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent

Abstract

The self-assembly of multiblock copolymers in solutions is controlled by a delicate balance between inherent phase segregation due to incompatibility of the blocks and the interaction of the individual blocks with the solvent. The current study elucidates the association of pentablock copolymers in a mixture of selective solvents which are good for the hydrophobic segments and poor for the hydrophilic blocks using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The pentablock consists of a center block of randomly sulfonated polystyrene, designed for transport, tethered to poly-ethylene-r-propylene and end-capped by poly-t-butyl styrene, for mechanical stability. We find that the pentablock forms ellipsoidal core-shell micelles with the sulfonated polystyrene in the core and Gaussian decaying chains of swollen poly-ethylene-r-propylene and poly-t-butyl styrene tertiary in the corona. With increasing solution concentration, the size of the micelle, the thickness of the corona, and the aggregation number increase, while the solvent fraction in the core decreases. As a result, in dilute solution the micelle increases in size as the temperature is increased, however, temperature effects dissipate with increasing solution concentration.

Authors:
 [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [1]
  1. Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Kraton Polymers US LLC, Houston, TX (United States)
  4. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1332952
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1332014
Report Number(s):
SAND-2016-11506J
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606; JCPSA6; 649110; TRN: US1700124
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; FG02-08ER46528; SC007908
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Chemical Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 145; Journal Issue: 18; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; micelles; solvents; block copolymers; aggregation; polymer structure

Citation Formats

Etampawala, Thusitha N., Aryal, Dipak, Osti, Naresh C., He, Lilin, Heller, William T., Willis, Carl L., Grest, Gary S., and Perahia, Dvora. Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4967291.
Etampawala, Thusitha N., Aryal, Dipak, Osti, Naresh C., He, Lilin, Heller, William T., Willis, Carl L., Grest, Gary S., & Perahia, Dvora. Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4967291
Etampawala, Thusitha N., Aryal, Dipak, Osti, Naresh C., He, Lilin, Heller, William T., Willis, Carl L., Grest, Gary S., and Perahia, Dvora. 2016. "Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4967291. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1332952.
@article{osti_1332952,
title = {Association of a multifunctional ionic block copolymer in a selective solvent},
author = {Etampawala, Thusitha N. and Aryal, Dipak and Osti, Naresh C. and He, Lilin and Heller, William T. and Willis, Carl L. and Grest, Gary S. and Perahia, Dvora},
abstractNote = {The self-assembly of multiblock copolymers in solutions is controlled by a delicate balance between inherent phase segregation due to incompatibility of the blocks and the interaction of the individual blocks with the solvent. The current study elucidates the association of pentablock copolymers in a mixture of selective solvents which are good for the hydrophobic segments and poor for the hydrophilic blocks using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The pentablock consists of a center block of randomly sulfonated polystyrene, designed for transport, tethered to poly-ethylene-r-propylene and end-capped by poly-t-butyl styrene, for mechanical stability. We find that the pentablock forms ellipsoidal core-shell micelles with the sulfonated polystyrene in the core and Gaussian decaying chains of swollen poly-ethylene-r-propylene and poly-t-butyl styrene tertiary in the corona. With increasing solution concentration, the size of the micelle, the thickness of the corona, and the aggregation number increase, while the solvent fraction in the core decreases. As a result, in dilute solution the micelle increases in size as the temperature is increased, however, temperature effects dissipate with increasing solution concentration.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4967291},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1332952}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics},
issn = {0021-9606},
number = 18,
volume = 145,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Mon Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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