Fluorescence excitation spectroscopy of polystyrene near the critical concentration c *

The critical concentration c* was measured using both fluorescence excitation spectroscopy and light scattering for four narrow molecular weight distribution samples of polystyrene (MW = 225,000–1,500,000) in bicyclo[4.4.0]decane (decahydronaphthalene, decalin) at 20 and 30°C. A discontinuity in the corrected intensity of a band in the excitation spectrum (assigned to the dimmer complex) as a function of concentration allowed determination of the critical concentration, c* , from the excitation spectra. The c* resulting from fluorescence and light scattering were identical within experimental error and were comparable to c* values calculated from literature methods. Fluorescence excitation spectroscopy should be a convenient method for determining c* for aromatic polymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 360–364, 2007