COMPLEXATION BETWEEN POLY(STYRENE-CO-4-VINYLPHENOL) AND POLY(STYRENE-CO-4-VINYLPYRIDINE) IN SOLUTION

Complexation between poly(styrene-co-4-vinylphenol) (STVPh) and poly(s tyrene-co-4-vinylpyridine) (STVPy) in solution has been studied by a c ombination of static and dynamic laser light scattering. It was found that the complexation was strongly influenced by the phenol and pyridy l contents and the solvent used. In a stronger proton-acceptor solvent , the complexation only happens when the phenol and pyridyl contents a re higher than a certain value, indicating a competition between the f ormation of the polymer-polymer and polymer-solvent hydrogen bonding. The addition of water, a strong hydrogen-bonding solvent, can complete ly destroy the complexation, clearly showing that it is the hydrogen b onding that induces the complexation. When the molar ratio of the mono mer units of STVPh to STVPy is similar to 1:1, the scattering intensit y reaches a maximum, indicating that the complexation has a 1:1 stoich iometry. On the other hand, when STVPy was in excess in the solution m ixture, each STVPh chain is complexed with a certain number of the STV Py chains over a wide range of composition and vice versa, suggesting the complexation is sterically governed.