Soluble graft-like complexes based on poly(4-vinyl pyridine) and carboxy-terminated polystyrene oligomers due to hydrogen bonding

Mono-carboxy terminated polystyrene oligomer (MCPS) and di-carboxy terminat ed polystyrene oligomer (DCPS) were prepared by anionic polymerization. Vis cometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies show that both MCPS and DCPS can interact with poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVPy) via hydrogen bonding t o form soluble graft-like complexes in CHCl3. The marked differences in the viscosity-composition behaviour, intrinsic viscosities and hydrodynamic ra dius distribution f(R-h) between MCPS/PVPy and DCPS/PVPy blend solutions pr oved that the two carboxyl ends in DCPS provide much stronger ability for c omplex formation than the mono carboxyl end in MCPS does. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.