O. Karal-yilmaz et al., Dynamic light scattering studies of poly(methyl methacrylate)polystyrene copolymers in their theta solvents, POLYMER, 42(23), 2001, pp. 9433-9440
The coil-globule transitions of random (statistical) and alternating copoly
mers of styrene and methyl methacrylate in their theta solvents, cyclohexan
ol and 2-ethoxy ethanol were studied by using dynamic light scattering tech
nique. The dimensions of the copolymeric chains show smooth and continous c
ontractions below theta temperatures. The hydrodynamic size, R-h, of a rand
om copolymer P(St-co-MMA) (M-W = 4.59 X 10(6) g/mol) in cyclohexanol (theta
= 68.6 degreesC) decreases to 48% of that in the unperturbed state at 56.5
degreesC). This copolymer shows a similar contraction behavior in a second
theta solvent 2-ethoxy ethanol (theta = 58.4 degreesC. The Rh of this copo
lymer decreases again to 48% of that in the unperturbed state at 45.3 degre
esC. An alternating copolymer of the same monomers P(St-alt-MMA) (M-W = 2.6
2 x 106 g/mol) displayed a comparable chain contraction. The hydrodynamic s
ize of this sample in cyclohexanol was reduced to 59% of that in the unpert
urbed state by decreasing temperature from 60.8 to 53.3 degreesC. For the r
andom and alternating copolymers studied in this work, the temperature inte
rval from the theta -state to the collapsed state is narrower compared to t
hat of the PMMA homopolymer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese
rved.