EFFECT OF BLOCK ARCHITECTURE ON THE SELF-ASSEMBLY OF COPOLYMERS OF ETHYLENE-OXIDE AND PROPYLENE-OXIDE IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

Five block copolymers with three linear architectures were prepared by sequential anionic copolymerization, i.e., E102P37,E103P34,E52P34E52, E57P46E57, and P19E113P19 (where E denotes oxyethylene and P denotes o xypropylene), and the properties of their aqueous solutions were studi ed across a wide range of concentration. The techniques used to study micellization and micellar properties in dilute solution were static a nd dynamic light scattering, surface tension, and elution gel-permeati on chromatography. The results showed, for example, that critical mice lle temperatures for solutions of given composition fell in the order EmPn < EmPnEm < PnEmPn, in agreement with the prediction of theory. Th e gelation of concentrated solutions was also investigated.