Open AccessInfluence of the Solvent Quality on Ring Polymer Dimensions
Author(s) -
Sebastian Gooßen,
Ana R. Brás,
Wim PyckhoutHintzen,
A. Wischnewski,
Dieter Richter,
Michael Rubinstein,
Jacques Roovers,
P. Lutz,
Youn-Chang Jeong,
Taihyun Chang,
Dimitris Vlassopoulos
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
macromolecules
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 313
eISSN - 1520-5835
pISSN - 0024-9297
DOI - 10.1021/ma502518p
Subject(s) - molar mass , solvent , polymer , neutron scattering , polystyrene , scattering , ring (chemistry) , materials science , small angle neutron scattering , theta solvent , solvent effects , light scattering , chemistry , chemical physics , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , optics , physics , composite material
We present a systematic investigation of well-characterized, experimentally pure polystyrene (PS) rings with molar mass of 161 000 g/mol in dilute solutions. We measure the ring form factor at θ - and good-solvent conditions as well as in a polymeric solvent (linear PS of roughly comparable molar mass) by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Additional dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements support the SANS data and help elucidate the role of solvent quality and solution preparation. The results indicate the increase of ring dimensions as the solvent quality improves. Furthermore, the experimental form factors in both θ -solvent and linear matrix behave as ideal rings and are fully superimposable. The nearly Gaussian conformations of rings in a melt of linear chains provide evidence of threading of linear chains through rings. The latter result has implications for the dynamics of ring-linear polymer mixtures.