Monoalkyl poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) micelles. a small-angle neutron scattering study.
This paper presents a SANS study of hydrophobically end-modified poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (POXZ-C(n)) micelles in aqueous solutions. Strong long-range repulsive interactions between the micelles are evidenced by correlation peaks present at concentrations as low as 0.5 wt %. Due to the dissymmetry in size between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of the chains, the micelles have been analyzed using a model of star-like micelles. Large extension of the POXZ arms into the micelles can explain the original SANS behavior. The dissociation of the micellar structures by adding a complexing agent of the alkyl groups, hydroxypropy-beta-cyclodextrin (HPbeta-CD), has been followed by SANS. The micelles are progressively disrupted by the addition of increasing amounts of HPbeta-CD, and the SANS behavior of free chains is recovered in the presence of an excess of the complexing agent.
Volet
Gisèle
G
Systèmes Polymères Complexes, Institut de Chimie et des Matériaux Paris-Est, 2 rue Henri Dunant, 94320 Thiais, France. volet@glvt-cnrs.fr
Auvray
Loïc
L
Amiel
Catherine
C