IONOMER-SURFACTANT SELF-ASSEMBLY IN LOW-POLARITY SOLVENTS

A systematic study of complexation reactions of sulfonated polystyrene ionomers containing up to 5 molar percent of polar chain units with v arious oil-soluble surfactants is carried out in low-polarity organic solvents. Dipole-dipole attractions of the components lead to the form ation of complexes characterized by limiting compositions and an unusu al polymer-colloidal morphology of joint clusters and/or micelles. The limiting compositions (phi) for the complexes formed between ionomers and surfactant of the same charge (bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate so dium salt), or nonionic surfactants (primarily aliphatic amines) are e qual to 15-30 surfactant molecules per one ionomer salt/acid group on average, with phi depending on the hydrophilic-lypophilic balance of t he components, the initial aggregation state of surfactant and the nat ure of low-polarity solvent. Ionomer-surfactant complexation is accomp anied by disruption of self-contacts of ionomer salt/acid groups, lead ing to ''unfastening'' and expansion of the ionomer coils in dilute so lution. The ''driving force'' of the ionomer-surfactant complexation a nd the structure of the resultant complexes are discussed.