SOLUBILIZATION BY POLYSOAPS

The aqueous solubilization power of several series of micellar homopol ymers and copolymers (''polysoaps'') is investigated. Using five insol uble or poorly water-soluble dyes, comparisons of the capacities are m ade with respect to the influence of structural variables such as the polymer backbone, the polymer geometry, the comonomer content, and the charge of the hydrophilic group. Some guidelines for polysoap structu res suited for efficient solubilization are established. Noteworthy is that the solubilization capacities of the polysoaps are neither linke d to the ability to reduce the surface tension of water, nor to the po larity of the solubilization sites deduced from spectroscopic probes.