Ordering in self-organizing comb copolymer-like systems obtained by hydrogen bonding between charged or noncharged polymers and amphiphiles

Mesomorphic structures and order-disorder transitions in comb copolymer-lik e systems obtained by hydrogen bonding of noncharged or charged homopolymer s with amphiphiles are discussed. The amphiphiles consist of attractive and repulsive moieties and the emphasis will be on the situation without an ad ditional solvent phase. Poly(4-vinyl pyridine), i.e. P4VP, hydrogen bonded to stoichiometric amounts of pentadecylphenol (PDP) is one of the character istic examples. Small angle X-ray scattering and dynamic rheology demonstra te that this system forms a disordered melt at temperatures above the order -disorder temperature (T-ODT), whereas for T < T-ODT a lamellar microphase separated structure is observed. Further cooling renders side chain crystal lization. This phase behavior can be tailored by adjusting the attraction a nd the repulsion between the amphiphile and the polymer. Repulsion can be i ncreased by making the alkyl chain longer or by adding charges to the backb one. Roth lead in general to a higher T-ODT. Order-disorder transitions can occur even in polyelectrolyte-amphiphile complexes as is demonstrated by f irst fully complexing P4VP with toluene sulphonic acid (TSA) to form a poly meric salt P4VP(TSA)(1.0) which is further hydrogen bonded to PDP. The pres ented results offer guidelines to apply the concepts to other polymers as w ell, with an example mentioned in relation to polyamide 6. (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.