Morphological characterization of the molecular superstructure of polyphenylene ethynylene derivatives

Two different polyphenylene ethynylene derivatives, one partly hydrophobic and one hydrophilic, were investigated with a combination of X-lay and ligh t scattering techniques and hydrodynamic techniques, as well as scanning fo rce microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate their mole cular structure and aggregation behavior in tetrahydrofuran and water, resp ectively. It turns out that both polymers possess a rod-like molecular arch itecture which, however, is the basis of a cascade of aggregation steps. Bo th, electron microscopy and X-ray analysis support the concept of a primary back-to-back aggregation of polymer chains into cylindrically shaped aggre gates with high anisometry. The thickness of these aggregates was between 4 .0 and 4.5 nn. The aggregates of the hydrophobic polymer further associate into fibrils and these fibrils form clusters of globular shape, though with high internal anisometry. (C) 1999 Academic Press.