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Effect of Sonication on Polymeric Aggregates Formed by Poly(ethylene oxide)‐Based Amphiphilic Block Copolymers
Author(s) -
Zhao Junpeng,
Pispas Stergios,
Zhang Guangzhao
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200900161
Subject(s) - copolymer , ethylene oxide , amphiphile , micelle , sonication , dispersity , materials science , polymer chemistry , dynamic light scattering , oxide , polystyrene , hydrodynamic radius , chemical engineering , aqueous solution , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , composite material , engineering , metallurgy
The effect of sonication on the size and structure of polymeric aggregates formed by amphiphilic block copolymers was studied by the combination of dynamic and static light scattering. Poly(ethylene oxide)‐ block ‐polyisoprene, poly(ethylene oxide)‐ block ‐polystyrene diblock copolymers, and poly(ethylene oxide)‐ block ‐polyisoprene‐ block ‐poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer were used as typical polymeric amphiphiles. Sonication was found to be an effective method to break up inter‐micellar associations and split large polymeric aggregates, present initially in the aqueous solutions, into monodisperse micelles. The content and type of hydrophobic block, copolymer solution‐preparation protocol, and copolymer concentration were also investigated as co‐factors in conjunction to the effect of sonication time.