Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol.241, No.1, 275-279, 2001
Dilute solution properties and aggregation behavior of alternate hetero-arm copolymer brushes
Alternate hetero-arm copolymer brushes were synthesized by free-radical copolymerizations of vinylbenzyl-terminated polystyrene macromonomers (PS-VB) with a methacryloyl-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer (PEO-MA)/tin tetrachloride (SnCl4: Lewis acid) complex. Dilute solution properties of such hetero-arm copolymer brushes were investigated by static and dynamic light scattering. Effective diffusion coefficients D-eff for copolymer brushes possessing large aspect ratios showed almost constant values in the range of polymer concentrations 0-6 x 10(-3) g/cm(3). These results mean that copolymer brushes formed unimolecular structures even in a good solvent such as benzene. It was speculated from angular dependence measurements that in solution copolymer brushes take geometrically anisotropic conformations such as cylinders. To determine the phase-separated cylindrical domains of alternate copolymer brushes, we constructed large aggregates of copolymer brushes in water. Consequently, alternate copolymer brushes seemed to lead self-assemblies among phase-separated hydrophobic PS domains.
Keywords:alternate hetero-arm copolymer brushes;unimolecular structure;phase-separated cylinder brushes